TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Children Shall Lead Way To Ballot Box

ADVERTISEMENT

By GEORGE H. NEWMAN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 1, 2008

PLANT CITY - Making note of the poor turnout in the August primary elections, a local church has organized a youth group to encourage voter registration and participation.

Kim Sureller, a youth instructor at Greater New Hope Church, has organized young church members to go out into the community to encourage voter registration by Monday's deadline for the Nov. 4 general election.

Only 9 percent of Hillsborough's registered voters cast ballots in the Aug. 26 primary.

"We have had some success," Sureller said. "Each time we go out we find people to register. We are also working with families and individuals who are interested in registering to vote."

The group has convinced more than 30 people to register to vote and is encouraging those already registered to go to the polls next month.

The church pastor, the Rev. Calvin "Pee Wee" Callins, sees this experience as one that will benefit both the public and the youth group volunteers.

"Our youth are learning responsibility and the value of teamwork," Callins said. "They are excited about the project and are dedicated to the task. They're not only learning about the voting process, they are sharing that information with the public."

Callins said he has turned the lobby of the church at 709 W. Park Road into a voters' registration center.

"A voting public brings pride to a community," Callins said. "It starts at home. Then it can grow into the neighborhood and community. We take pride in our country. But it has to grow from the cities, counties and states. What our youth group is doing is telling our neighbors that we have a voice that can be heard. That voice quite often is heard through the ballot box."

Sureller said she is teaching her youth group about election laws, current events, the importance of voting and how to get the message to the public. She contacted Kate Fellows and Vicki Pfenning, officials at the county Supervisor of Elections Office, to acquire voter registration applications and schedule field trips for the youth group.

"We'll show them how the voting is done and explain the process to them," said Pfenning, the office's warehouse manager.

Fellows, an outreach supervisor, said the office provided pamphlets and registration forms to the youths. "And if they wish to visit our offices, we will set up a tour for her group," she said.

Sureller said she wants to visit the election supervisor's offices near Brandon with the group, particularly on election night.

A.J. Marcus was elected by his peers as president of the youth group. Aysa Sureller was elected vice president.

"It is our responsibility to coordinate each outing," Marcus said. "We make sure everyone has all the paperwork and the verbal message that needs to be passed on to the people we contact.

"Voting is an important part of the process. We are looking to get as many people as possible to register."

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451 or gnewman@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT