Shaw Univ. students march to the polls to vote in Raleigh election

Students from Shaw University marched to the polls on Thursday to make their voices heard in Raleigh’s local election.

With members of Shaw’s drum line accompanying them, the students departed from campus and walked the half mile through downtown to the Wake County Board of Elections to cast a ballot during the early voting period.

“We’re trying to bring awareness to the students about the importance of municipal elections, that it’s important to not only vote for president, but also for the smaller elections,” said Diamond Rickets, a Democracy Fellow with Common Cause NC and a student at Shaw. “A lot of people on campus didn’t even know that there is an election going on, so we’re trying to bring awareness to that.”

To help inform students about this year’s election, Common Cause NC provided printed copies of a nonpartisan voter guide featuring profiles on candidates vying for Raleigh mayor and city council. The guide is also available online at NCVoterGuide.org/raleigh.

In addition to Shaw University, Common Cause NC is working with students at six other historically black colleges and universities in North Carolina, encouraging these young people to make their voices heard as part of the organization’s Black Votes Matter campaign.