Black Voters Matter holds registration drives at 3 HBCUs in South Georgia

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Savannah State University freshman Sanaai Stewart on campus after updating her voter registration at an event hosted by Black Voters Matter on Sept. 20, 2024.

Credit: Benjamin Payne / GPB News

The nonpartisan voting rights group Black Voters Matter held registration drives at three HBCUs in South Georgia last week, as the state's Oct. 7 registration deadline for the presidential election draws near.

The nonprofit took its bus tour to Albany State University, Fort Valley State University and Georgia's oldest public HBCU: Savannah State University.

“When you're on campus, a lot of times students feel like, ‘I'm only here for school,’ but for those four years, you're living in that community,” Black Voters Matter organizing manager Melinee Calhoun said. “There may be things in your community that you want to see change, and your vote can make the difference.”

Savannah State junior and Vidalia native Mya Byrd was among the dozens of students who turned out to the lawn in front of the King Frazier Student Center on Friday to register to vote for their first time.

“As I've gotten older, I've started realizing the presidential election involves our future, our lives, especially as college students — our funding in college,” said Byrd, who studies business administration and accounting. “Politics is not an interesting topic, but I do feel like it is something that you should involve yourself in.”

Savannah State freshman Sanaai Stewart was already registered to vote in her hometown of Atlanta, but she decided to change her registration to her campus address so that she wouldn't have to cast an absentee ballot or make the roughly four-hour drive home to vote in person.

“We're having the biggest debate of the world right now,” she said, referring to the tight presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. “Why would you want to miss out on that? Our ancestors fought for this right to vote. If you have the option to vote, why don't you just go do it?”

As the largest county outside of metro Atlanta, Savannah's Chatham County has been eyed by both candidates as a key arena in the battleground state: Harris held a rally at Savannah's Enmarket Arena in late August and Trump is set to speak Tuesday at Savannah's Johnny Mercer Theatre.