Madison’s Town Park hosted the Vote Your Values Festival on Oct. 26, the last Saturday to vote in the 2024 election.
According to a press release announcing the event, voters could stroll to the poll with the festival’s fitness team or catch a ride on the “Votemobile” shuttle.
“Our goal was to inspire voters to think about how our values inform our decisions when we go to the polls by bringing together experts and local leaders in a festive environment,” said event organizer Jeanne Dufort. “We heard about immigration, gun safety, women’s reproductive healthcare, education, and from cancer survivors – as well as the power of the vote and protecting our democracy. Thanks to my co-organizers, Artez Kelly and Cheryl Bland, and our festival partners, Alicia Stallworth and Reproductive Freedom for All and David Lockman and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.”
According to Dufort, highlights of the event included the return of Morgan County native Helen Butler, executive director of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, and her Power of the Ballot bus. Power of the Ballot’s team members included D.C.-based civil rights attorney Judith Browne Dianis and Selma attorney Faya Rose Toure, the first African American female judge in Alabama history.
Madison Mayor Fred Perriman was one of several speakers who took the stage.
Perriman began his remarks by invoking images of the civil rights era when iconic figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis fought for the rights of all Americans to be represented fairly by elected officials.
“All of us who believe in democracy, fairness, and one nation should strive to make our nation what it was designed to be,” Perriman said. “All of us are created equal. We realize we have a Republican party and a Democratic party, and I think someone said earlier that ‘prayer still changes things.’ So, if you believe in the power of prayer, I pray that the good Lord will allow us to put the right candidate in office who will serve our nation fairly and decently. We have come a long way and have come too far to turn around now.
“Now is the time to be like the eagle, my brothers and my sisters, let us soar together. If we soar together, we can win together.”
Pastor Derrick Worrell of First St. Paul Baptist Church spoke about gun safety and responsibility. This issue impacted Apalachee High School and nearby communities tragically just two months ago.
DJ Rec kept the crowd dancing with the tunes he was spinning, and guests visited craft stations, including one where festival attendees could make friendship bracelets to keep, gift, or wrap.
The festival was a non-partisan event, and while Democrats made up a majority of the crowd, a couple of gentlemen strolled through Town Park wearing MAGA hats about halfway through the festival.
Voters could also get information about current issues, find out what’s on their ballot, and confirm where and when they can vote.
Festival sponsors included the Lake Oconee Area Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, Reproductive Freedom for All, and Moms Demand Gun Safety.