Action Housing Pittsburgh hosts voter rally to get young adults energized

All eyes are on youth and first-time voters this election season. Action Housing, along with Voter Empowerment Education & Enrichment Movement (VEEEM), is making sure young people exercise their right to vote.

“We all know Pennsylvania is a battleground state. Both candidates being in the region multiple times tells us everything we need to know. Young people, as voters, typically don’t let traditionalism hold them back. They are thinking about what’s in it for them, individually and collectively,” said Maryn Formley, founder of VEEEM, a faith-based, nonpartisan organization focused on increasing voter turnout.

At the Voter Rally at Uptown Lofts on Fifth, the energy ballooned Thursday night as young adults enjoyed food trucks, ice cream, registered to vote and learned about the process.

Formley helped people register and educated them about what would be on the ballot. She also warned them about social media algorithms that could lead to disinformation. She urged first-time voters to seek information from reliable sources such as VOTE411.

Astasia Wright, 19, is a first-time voter who feels strongly about women’s rights. “I wasn’t able to vote in the last two elections, but I did keep up with them. Finally being able to vote is great because we have a lot of outdated rules and policies that don’t really benefit younger and more diverse people,” she said. “Being a Black woman is already challenging enough, and having the possibility of our basic human rights being taken away is unsettling and takes us 10 steps back.”

Michael Mitchell, 19, is also a first-time voter. When he thinks about voting, it’s through the lens of community. “I value what the community can do as a whole to better myself and the people around me. Tonight was about engaging with young adults and showing them the impacts voting can have on our lives,” Mitchell said. “Our voices matter. We deserve to be heard.”

Formley said events like the voter rally help create “super voters,” people who become passionate about voting.

Action Housing’s MyPlace Youth Program, which helps prevent youth homelessness and supports their education and career goals, presented the Voter Rally.

“Tonight is about educating young adults on the importance of voting. Sometimes they can feel overlooked. It wasn’t so long ago that we, as women and African Americans, didn’t have the right to vote, so we don’t want them to take that for granted,” said Sharon Langford, director of social services at Action Housing. “Many young people we meet have faced unfortunate circumstances and don’t even see Pittsburgh as their home. Seeing people who look like them taking voting seriously and being active is important.”

Azeral Williams, 19, registered to vote at the rally and will be voting in this election. She hopes the next president addresses gun violence, something she sees often, with people being shot Downtown just outside where she lives.

“I hope someone addresses it and fixes it,” she said.

Though the event was geared toward young adults, there was something for everyone. In an adjacent room, senior citizens were also educated about the voting process. Amy Kleissas and Linda Rose with the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh addressed concerns such as former inmates’ ability to vote, ID requirements at the polls and moving from mail-in to in-person voting.

Kleissas explained that the only way a person cannot vote is if they are an inmate with a felony on Election Day. She also noted that ID is required at the polls in Pennsylvania only if you are a first-time voter or have moved. As for voting in person instead of by mail, “You must surrender the entire envelope to the poll worker, then you will receive an in-person ballot,” Kleissas said.

Ron Lawrence, 78, remembers his first time voting in 1964. He had just graduated from high school, and former President Lyndon B. Johnson was running. A Mississippi native and Pittsburgh transplant, Lawrence remembers a time when Black people were unable to vote and voter suppression was rampant. He is focused on improving the education system.

“The main thing for me is schools … funding the schools properly and getting our kids educated,” Lawrence said.

Education, he said, is what will keep the youngest generations and the next voters informed.

Beverly Johnson, 75, appreciated learning more about what to expect at the polls. She has become more passionate about voting as she’s gotten older.

“It will help us as Black people to speak up for ourselves. The racism isn’t going away, so we need to stay involved,” Johnson said.

A Meet the Candidates on Your 2024 General Election Ballot event hosted by VEEEM is scheduled for 2 p.m. Oct. 5 at Baptist Temple Church in Homewood. For more information or to register, visit veeempittsburgh.org.