“Voting is absolutely fundamental to democracy, and democracy dies without participation,” said Betsy Swift, member of the local Indivisible’s organization.
Indivisible Common Ground WNC is hosting Rock the Vote on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Sylva’s Bridge Park.
This free event is promoting voting and voter registration in Jackson County, especially among the Generation Z population. The organization hopes to increase voter turnout for the upcoming election in a nonpartisan setting, said Swift.
Indivisible is organizing booths with information on the local candidates and how to register to vote. The Board of Elections is also tabling to promote ways to get a required photo identification for the election.
Leah Greenburg will also speak at the event. Greenburg and her husband, Ezra Levin, founded Indivisible in 2016. Swift said the two created the organization to protest the Trump administration by sharing with average people the ways they can get involved in politics.
The local Democratic and Republican parties are both invited to table at Rock the Vote.
This is the first time Indivisible Common Ground WNC is hosting this event. The Cut Cocktail Lounge owner, Jacqueline Laura, created the event after noticing her Gen Z employees were largely unaware of the election.
Rock the Vote is happening during Sylva Pride weekend. While the two organizations are not directly partnering, Sylva Pride recognizes the importance of Rock the Vote.
“Either way you feel about the presidential election, there is still a lot at stake, and we all need to be considering races up and down the ballot,” said Burgin Mackey, Sylva Pride President.
