HUNTSVILLE — With the Alabama primaries exactly one month away on May 24, Huntsville’s Committee 100 Young Professionals debuted their biennial Rock the Vote event at Stovehouse this weekend. 256 Today was live at the event giving out rosters of all the statewide races and talking to candidates as well as voters about why they were there.
Rock the Vote is a bi-partisan nonprofit dedicated to building the political power of young people, but there were hundreds of participants of all ages present yesterday as state and local candidates came out to chat with local voters in a comfortable, social setting.
“Our goal is to get our citizens informed of who are the decision makers and how they can learn more about the process and who represents them and communicate the issues that are important to them,” said Caroline Kennedy, Rock the Vote co-chair here in Huntsville. “These people shape our lives. They make decisions, and they do things that will impact our children’s education, our home values, job opportunities. We need to know what’s going on and voice our opinions on how we want to be represented.”
256 Today spoke with a lady who has just moved to Huntsville from California, and she did not yet know which district she was in or who her representative was.
“This is absolutely perfect,” she said as she scanned the printed rosters 256 Today was giving out. “This is the first chance I have had to do any research on the candidates and since I am new here, I am starting from scratch, and this is so helpful!”
Many voters had specific questions they wanted to be answered.
“I want to know whether my current representatives are running again or whether there is an alternative; and if so, what that person is going to do differently from the person currently in that position,” said another voter. “That helps me to know whether the person running to replace my current representative is someone that should be given a chance to do a better job.”
Dominique Roberson is a schoolteacher, and the recent controversy over what is being taught in classrooms is her main issue.
“It’s hard to find straight information on candidates on the internet because you have to read through the negatives from an opposing candidate, so sometimes it is really good to see them face-to-face, and if you are confused, you can find out in person who these people are and what they stand for,” said Roberson. “As a teacher, I have a lot of questions about education, but while a lot of people are talking about wanting more pay and more support and funding for schools, what we teach in our classrooms, who is supporting the freedom for teachers to teach what used to be taught in a classroom is a big thing for me.”
Brooke Izzo Shaughnessy, director of Marketing & Communications for the Huntsville Sports Commission and a member of the Committee 100, said she felt Rock the Vote was a great way to get the local community engaged in local politics.
“Sometimes political events can be intimidating,” Shaughnessy said. “Rock the Vote gives people plenty of information, offered in a casual, social atmosphere where local people can just walk up to a candidate and ask them questions one-on-one and discuss their issues.”
Other voters were a bit more skeptical.
“I don’t expect them to tell me the truth even if I do ask them questions,” said one male voter. “Let’s just say I am not here because I love Alabama politics. I am here because I am tired of being underrepresented.”
He was seen later leaving with a candidate yard sign, so perhaps someone convinced him to feel differently.
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