The owners of a deli in Birmingham, Ala., organized a daylong voter registration drive in the Pratt City neighborhood June 2. Five generations of the Agee family, owners of the Thomas Deli, flagged down drivers and pedestrians, encouraging them to sign up. They provided forms to register voters, helped them fill in their information and promised to deliver the completed forms to the county, which provided the family with 100 registration forms.
Claudia Agee and her family registered voters Saturday in Birmingham, Ala. Photo by Khara Persad/News21
Claudia Agee, 72, said she wants more for her hometown and said the local youth have to exercise their right to vote in order to make that happen.
“We’re trying to get the young people to vote to get them out in larger numbers, and trying to let them know the importance of voting,” she said. “They complain about a lot of things but they don’t know that if they don’t vote, staying at home is not going to help. Go vote and help voice your opinion. When you vote, then you have a voice.”
Debbie Agee helps Miara Hunt, a student at Lawson State Community College in Birmingham, fill out registration forms. Photo by Khara Persad/News21
Miara Hunt, 19, is a student at Lawson State Community College in Birmingham who stopped Saturday to register with the help of Debbie Agee, 54.
“I really want to vote. I’ve been waiting on this age limit so I can be able to vote for a long time. And now I’m able to do it, and I’m glad. And I want a good president,” Hunt said.
– By Jack Fitzpatrick and Khara Persad, News21