Charlotte vote: Campus group leads mile walk to polls
Organizers from The Greater Good coordinated the effort to get hundreds of first-time voters to a nearby site during the final days of early voting.
By Katherine Diallo ·
Hundreds of UNC Charlotte students walked approximately one mile to a polling station on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The group left the student union at 3 p.m. to participate in the final days of early voting.
The march was led by The Greater Good, a nonprofit founded by student Sawyer Hook. Hook started the organization during his freshman year. He cited similar student walks at North Carolina A&T as his main inspiration for the event.
About 20 campus organizations sent members to the procession. Participants carried signs promoting voter turnout. The line extended into the parking lot of the former University City Regional Library.
For many participants, this is their first time casting a ballot. Jada Jewel, a UNC Charlotte student, described the experience as empowering. She said the group wanted to ensure their voices were heard in the process.
Nyzia Heath, another student in the group, connected the act to historical efforts. “People before me have always been fighting for us to have a message and voice so I want to use my voice and do what my ancestors fought for their whole life,” Heath said.
Hook emphasized that the goal was participation rather than a specific political outcome. “I’m not one to tell people how to vote or who to vote for, but I am one to say to vote,” Hook said. He noted that he could influence whether people voted, but not how they voted.
U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, a Democrat from North Carolina, visited the polling site to support the students. Adams told the group that their participation makes their vote matter. “I think what’s really important is that these young people understand that their vote does matter because some people would tell me well my vote doesn’t matter well it won’t matter if you don’t cast it,” Adams said.
A Mecklenburg County Board of Elections representative noted that UNC Charlotte served as a polling location in 2024. However, the campus typically does not host voting during midterm elections due to turnout levels. The students voted at the closest available site instead.
Source: WBTV
