Trenton Souls to the Polls returns to help voters throughout Mercer County

TRENTON — Election season is coming to an end, and with it comes a last-minute effort to get as many people to the polls as possible.

Voters in the Garden State already vote in person and by mail using a variety of options.

This Sunday, several organizations will join forces for the fourth annual Souls to the Polls in Trenton.

The NAACP is hosting a national Souls to the Polls event to encourage voter involvement, and the D.C. event is a local effort that reflects the fervor and spirit of the national initiative.

Trenton NAACP President Austin Edwards, Esq. said he tries to make it a fun community event to remind people that voting is their civic duty as well as a chance to spend time with friends and neighbors.

“We want to make sure people remember that voting is something that needs to be done,” Edwards said, “but we want it to be fun so it’s worth doing.”

The Trenton NAACP is partnering with Salvation and Social Justice, Greater Mount Zion AME and Christina Seix Academy to host an event that will also help area residents express their voices.

Every Mercer County resident will be able to vote in Trenton on Sunday at the Trenton Fire Department headquarters at 244 Perry St, starting at noon, and food and entertainment will be free.

Souls to the Polls is basically what the name suggests, a faith-based community initiative to remind people to vote.

But the event itself is not just about churches reminding parishioners to get involved in the electoral process.

Courtesy of Christina Seix Academy, free transportation will be provided from local churches to the polls. People wishing to use this transportation can contact the Trenton NAACP through the group’s Facebook page

Souls to the Polls is not about promoting a specific candidate, but about motivating the entire community to learn about all the contests and vote with confidence and information about who they are voting for.

“As a nonprofit, we advocate for policy, not people or politicians,” Edwards said.

While admitting that this was not an original statement, he repeated an important position on elections.

“You have to vote for, not against. Start with your local dog breeder and work your way up to the federal level,” Edwards said. “Local elections have a much greater impact on your daily life than federal positions.”

“Local crackdowns are the closest you can get to an immediate response to your needs,” Edwards said. “You can really make your community a lot better this way. This is step one.”

The event also aims to remind underrepresented communities how much work has been put in to reach where they are in society today.

“Especially in Trenton, a majority Black and Latino community, we have been denied access to the polls for years and generations,” Edwards said.

“Now that we have done the work of generations to restore the rights of all people of color,” Edwards said, “including returning citizens, we have no excuse not to honor the legacy and work of previous generations.”

In New Jersey, returning citizens can vote, and Edwards has worked with Salvation and Social Justice to help returning citizens return to normal life after spending time in the justice system.

“If you’re not in a cell, you can vote,” Edwards said.

The groups behind the Souls to the Polls project have been organizing voter registration drives and educational events for months, many of them with the support of Mercer County election officials.

Current efforts are currently focused on encouraging registered voters to cast ballots.

Engaging these voters in a presidential election year is great, but the community atmosphere and educational components of the groups’ efforts are geared toward annual voter turnout.

“I hope this inspires people to do more than just vote in the presidential election,” Edwards said. “Next year we have elections for governor, assembly and several state senators. A year later, mayor (of Trenton) and more council seats.”

“Fulfilling your civic duty is 365. Showing up at board meetings, scheduling board meetings, school board meetings. Make your voice heard,” Edwards said.

“Every day is a story. So get out there and get involved.”