In 1956, Gwinnett County activist Eron Moore registered and cast his first vote.
That’s noteworthy for several reasons, but one stands out: Moore’s a black man.
The history I’ve read or caught wind of anecdotally generally points out that poll taxes and other such restrictive measures kept Southern blacks from fully participating in the electoral process.
So Moore’s experience — nine years before passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act — is the antithesis of racial voter disenfranchisement and censure at the polls. It’s a welcome departure, too.
“We didn’t have that in our particular area as far I know,” he told me, referring to a section of Lawrenceville now home to Moore Middle School, named in honor of Robbie S. Moore, his late wife and founding member of the United Ebony Society of Gwinnett County, a civil rights organization.
“Personally, we didn’t experience that. My dad registered and voted in 1942. Sure there were efforts around to keep blacks from registering and voting, but as far as I can remember, there was no effort to keep blacks from voting in Gwinnett County.”
Here we are, five days away from elections that will be held across metro Atlanta as well as the state. It’s a non-presidential election year. An off-year. Registered voters tend to exhibit a nonchalant attitude toward municipal elections and issues that blanket the ballot.
True, you won’t elect a president on Tuesday, but mayors and council members in various towns will be put in office. And depending on the community, you also might have a say on Sunday alcohol sales and education SPLOSTs, 1-cent sales taxes that would raise money for public school systems. Several districts in metro Atlanta are considering the tax.
In Gwinnett, Sean Murphy serves as the volunteer co-chair for that county’s SPLOST renewal campaign. The father of four school-age children urges registered voters to turn out. Moreover, he asked that I clarify something residents may not know: City polling locales deal strictly with municipal races. To vote on the education SPLOST, residents must go to designated county polling stations.
“So if they want to vote for mayor and the SPLOST, they have to go to two different polling locations,” he told me. “I think [the education SPLOST] will pass because our school system is the secret to our success, and the way to get jobs and the economy going. Even if you don’t agree with every decision the school board makes, kids and education matter.”
This election matters, too, though Moore the Gwinnett activist said parlaying that message to the electorate isn’t an easy feat. He, along with other members of the United Ebony Society, try to impress the importance of “off-year” elections to little avail.
“It’s hard,” he said. “In Gwinnett County, even with the education SPLOST, I really don’t think there’s going to be a great turnout. A large part of the electorate only wants to vote when the national ticket is on.”
Moore can easily recall the first time he voted, calling it “a prestigious honor.” He helped re-elect President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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