NAACP prepares for start of early voting

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Tennesseans may be surprised to learn priests cannot serve in the Tennessee legislature and slavery can still be found in the state constitution.

In just a few days, polls open for the midterm elections and voters will have to make decisions on four constitutional amendments.

Early Voting for the mid-term elections starts Oct. 19.

The Memphis Branch of the NAACP will spend the weekend making sure voters are prepared.

NAACP Memphis officials made their plea Friday morning for voters to get out and vote.

Saturday morning the group will canvass South City to remind them that early voting starts next week.

They will also hold a demonstration for the county’s new voting machines from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the NAACP headquarters at 588 Vance Avenue.

Here’s a breakdown of how the civil rights group wants people to vote:

• NAACP is recommending “No” on Amendment 1 or the “Right to Work” which asks voters if they want to outlaw mandatory labor union membership.
• Yes on Amendment 2 which creates a line of succession if the governor can no longer serve.
• Yes on Amendment 3 which forever prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude from the constitution.
• Yes on Amendment 4 which would delete language in the constitution that prohibits ministers and priests from serving in either house of the legislature.

“I don’t know a more important amendment we have to vote yes on than this amendment to prohibit slavery in our constitution. We all know the painful history on slavery in this country and in this state and in this city,” said Turner.

“It’s very hard to separate faith from the decision-making process when we think about what should govern us,” said Keith Norman, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist on Broad Church. “Many of the laws that we live from in the land come from the holy bible and many of them come from other forms of religious documents,” said Norman.

Early Voting continues through Thursday, Nov. 3., and election day is Nov. 8th.

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