“We hadn’t done it yet, it was on the list, my wife is working in the booth and we thought what a better opportunity,” Ryan Barry, a newly registered voter, said.
Barry has lived in the Virgin Islands for a few years now. After hearing an advertisement on the radio for this weekends’ “Count it Up” voter registration event he thought there was no better time to count in this years’ election, especially as he serves as a member of the National Guard.
“As a person who is sworn to defend the constitution we understand how important it is to our daily living. You know and having been overseas, there’s places that don’t always appreciate what we have here so it’s important.”
Members of the Board of Elections and Elections System of the Virgin Islands lined up to get people registered as they walked in.
The only entrance charge, to bring a voter registration card or passport to get registered. Raymond Williams was there to help them as they came in.
“It is our responsibility to register as many people in the Virgin Islands that are eligible to vote, to be registered, if we could register 100 people here tonight it would be a wonderful evening,” Williams said.
The event isn’t just a free concert for the community it’s a way to get people to register to vote. Tables were set up at the entrance of the event as people go in to have fun, listen to music and grab some food, but the biggest priority of the night is to get people involved in the election.
“It’s an effort that is worth it, because it’s part of the civic process,” Ernest Gilbert, Founder of the Virgin Islands Consortium said.
Gilbert helped put together the event, with his media company Virgin Islands Consortium and with partners for the night, WTJX. Gilbert said the partnership sends a message that media outlets should come together around the election.
“One media company can’t do it alone and I feel like it’s important that we the media in the territory could come together and do stuff like this because you know the media is a very important part because you know it’s the 4thestate. The more we can tag team and do stuff like that, I believe it will benefit the people.”
The community coming together with just a month to go until election day.
