Common Cause volunteers and Spelman alumni, Alyssia Kum and Chelsea Everette volunteered at Mergenthaler Vo-Tech high school in Baltimore city Tuesday evening. Their purpose was to campaign question one and two’s initiatives on Maryland state ballots.

Common Cause was founded in 1970 and is a nonpartisan organization that fights for initiatives, voting rights against voting suppression and the opportunity to participate in democracy, explained Alyssia Kum.

Question one pertains to the push to ensure casino revenue funds school education and question two pushes to pass same day election registration. Question two peaked the most interest of residents because it has the potential to involve more citizens in democracy. If passed, election day registration is projected to increase voter turnout, reduce the need for
provisional ballots, protect voters if their registration applications are lost and ensure voters who recently moved can participate on election day.

Chelsea Everette explained same day election voting is personal to her because her friend was unable to participate in midterm voting because she obtained her citizenship a day before midterm voter registration deadline.

“Someone like my friend would be perfect to be able to walk into a polling place and still be able to register to be able to vote that day because it’s like what is the requirement and what is the issue with being able to register the same day to vote.”

As the polls came to an end, Alyssia and Chelsea remained hopeful that her voice ignited voters to vote yes to question one and two.

“People should have the opportunity to register to vote,” stated Alyssia.