With Election 2024 touted as the most important election in our lifetime, much of the conversation between politicians, media, and community advocates centers around voter turnout.
More specifically, a huge spotlight has been placed on non-voters—individuals who say their vote won’t make a difference, the entire political system is broken, both political parties are the same or all of the above.
But not everyone believes that line of thinking. In fact, several community advocates in the Houston area beg to differ.
Millennial Mother of Three
Nefertiti G, a mother of three, has been part of the political universe her entire life.
“Politics, I guess, that’s my birthright,” said Nefertiti. “My mother being an active participant in the civil rights movement, my grandparents’ generation, my church family, they all stressed to us the importance of voting.”
Nefertiti, who heads her church’s political action committee, is crystal clear on voting’s benefits.
“From my perspective, voting impacts the quality of my life because voting allows me the opportunity to voice my opinion and to impact or persuade public policies and what’s best to serve me, my family, friends, and my community as a whole,” she said.
“I know a lot of times, we hear ‘Vote your interests.’ But when I vote, I go deeper than that. I think of my interests, I think of my family, my friends, and my community and what commonalities or what struggles everyone is facing.”
Nefertiti views the notion that voting doesn’t matter as a danger.
“That’s the worst thing you could think. Voting matters. When you have that apathetic view that voting does not matter, this is how policies don’t get changed. This is the holdup to victories in local and state elections. One person has that thought, then 10 people have that thought. With some elections, people win by 20 votes. The margin between winning and losing is that close. Every vote counts.”
Gen Z Organizer
Zakiya Newman serves as the Harris County Democratic Party’s Outreach Director. A graduate of Houston’s KIPP Spirit, Newman earned her college degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
While in Portland Newman became fascinated by the city’s long history of gentrification, environmental racism, and the illusion of white supremacy. From that knowledge, Newman began creating, organizing, and coordinating programs to bring awareness to those topics and more, helping fellow students become more civically engaged.
Upon graduating and returning to Houston, the controversies, lawsuits, and mud-slinging in Bayou City politics compelled her to get politically active.
Working on the campaigns of Beto O’Rourke and the late Sheila Jackson Lee allowed Newman to gain organizing experience that prepared her for her current role with the HCDP.
And she has a ready word for those who doubt voting’s power.
“Not voting is a vote; a default vote for most likely the Republicans,” said Newman. “Republicans know that a large voter turnout, especially in urban areas or areas with demographics like Harris County, is very dangerous to their political agenda. So, you are unknowingly abetting their agenda just by not voting. I understand the long lines, the confusion, so much information, disinformation, disillusionment, but the fight for resistance is a constant struggle.”
For Newman, the main political struggle is close to home.
“The thing that gets the most attention that’s most glossy is the presidential election. But what really truly matters and impacts our daily lives is the down-ballot candidates locally in our communities, in our individual counties. That is why voting is so important and why it impacts your life directly. When it comes to district judges, you want people who align with your values, who aren’t in the pockets of some shady corporate entity, who aren’t compassionate, or who are racist and sexist. We don’t want those types of judges in our local courts, deciding major cases that transform people’s lives, families and entire communities. We want to make sure that someone is responsible, that we can rely on and trust to run the elections, as well as run properly other important segments of the local government,” she added.
