Members of the Lafayette County Democratic Party gathered in support of congressional candidates Cliff Johnson and Scott Colom at the No Kings: Vote Early/Vote Absentee visibility event on Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. to noon.
Approximately 100 attendees stood at the intersection of University Avenue and Bramlett Boulevard, holding signs that ranged from showing support for Johnson and Colom to expressing discontent with the Trump administration.
With the Tuesday, Nov. 3 midterm election date looming, Cristen Hemmins, chair of the Lafayette Democrats, emphasized that one of the main reasons for this visibility event was to spread awareness about the midterm elections and absentee voting.
“We did this to spread awareness that you can vote absentee now at the circuit clerk’s office in the white courthouse in the middle of the Square on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the last two Saturdays of this month, as well,” Hemmins said.
Attendants reinforced this sentiment, expressing the importance of voting in the midterm elections. Lee Kneupper is an Oxford resident who attended the event and expressed strong support for Colom in the midterms.
“We’ve got midterm elections coming up in two weeks,” Kneupper said. “(We’re trying to) get people to recognize that you need to get out and vote. We just have to have as much of a turnout as possible.”
Many participants felt frustrated with the current administration and hope their vote in the midterms will impact some issues they are passionate about. Oxford resident Doll Russell promoted her opinions of environmental conservation.
“I’ve seen the trees go down and be cut down in Oxford just all over the place, especially in the last few years,” Russell said. “I’m here to make that statement (and) to make sure that people know that there’s an election coming up and to vote.”
Some of the big issues that residents vocalized were related to healthcare, high prices and corruption. Diane Wang is an Oxford resident who attended the visibility event to speak out against the actions of politicians in office.
“I don’t like to see what’s happening to our country,” Wang said. “I would like to do whatever I can to protect the rights we have had up until this administration and try to keep America the great country that it has been until, I feel, now.”
Hemmins believes that resolving these perceived issues is a priority for Colom, and that if elected, he would stand by the values for which Oxford residents advocate.
“Colom is constantly talking about lower … prices, higher wages and (saving) our healthcare,” Hemmins said. “I know that he’s going to vote to advance those issues.”
Another reason for hosting visibility events is to give local Democrats a sense of community, Hemmins said.
“Being here just gives Democrats a sense of community and support, and seeing that there are all these people who care about electing Democrats and voting, and who feel so strongly about protecting our democracy, is just a way of increasing voter participation and enthusiasm,” Hemmins said.
Theresa Levitt is an Oxford resident and professor of history at the university who attended the event. She said the community aspect it created made the event valuable.
“You have to feel like you’re not the only one that feels this way,” Levitt said. “Then, you’d really feel hopeless.”
