Ain’t That A VHIT
By Von C. Howard
Most of us can name two registered voters who may not cast a ballot unless someone they trust takes the time to reach out.
One might be an 18-year-old young man who pre-registered during a voter-registration drive at his high school. If we are honest, he may have signed up because it allowed him to get out of class for a few minutes. He completed the form without truly understanding the responsibility, or the power, connected to becoming a voter.
He does not need a lecture. He needs someone to explain how elections affect his education, employment opportunities, neighborhood and future. He may need a trusted adult to review a sample ballot with him and answer the questions he may be uncomfortable asking.
Your second person might be an elderly woman who voted faithfully for decades but cannot move around the way she once did. Standing for long periods may be difficult. She may no longer drive, and reaching an early-voting location may require assistance she does not want to request.
She has not stopped caring. Her circumstances have changed.
Perhaps she needs a ride, a patient hand to help her get around or someone to explain her voting options. More than anything, she may need to know that her community still values her voice and has not forgotten her.
These are the people at the heart of the Vote With Us: You Plus Two Black Voter Turnout Campaign, created by the Zeta Chi Chapter Voter Registration, Education and Mobilization Committee of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and the Broward County Black Civic Coalition.
Our organizations have spent years registering voters at schools, churches, festivals and community events. That work remains necessary, but registration is only the beginning. A voter-registration card sitting in a wallet or kitchen drawer cannot speak for us. Our voices are heard when our ballots are cast.
The campaign asks every participating individual and organization to work toward at least 90 percent voter turnout within their personal circles and organizational membership. Each participant is also asked to identify two registered voters who do not vote consistently, understand what may be keeping them from participating and help them make a realistic voting plan.
Your two may also include a coworker whose shift ends late, a single parent balancing work and children, or a friend who recently moved and does not know whether the polling location changed. Sometimes participation begins with one honest conversation: “What is keeping you from voting, and how can I help?”
The math shows why this approach can be game-changing. If 100 people each help two others vote, 200 additional voices enter the process. If 1,000 people accept the challenge, that becomes 2,000 voters. When our community works together, we can change turnout throughout Broward County.
This campaign is nonpartisan. We will not tell anyone whom to support. Our responsibility is to share accurate information, remove practical barriers and help people exercise their right to choose.
The Primary Election is Tuesday, August 18, 2026, followed by the General Election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. We urge you to choose the voting method that best fits your life: request a vote-by-mail ballot and personally return it to an official Secure Ballot Intake Station, vote early or cast your ballot the traditional way on Election Day. Confirm current locations, dates and hours through the Broward County Supervisor of Elections (www.browardvotes.gov).
Do not wait until Election Day to reach out. Call the young man who registered but does not yet understand his power. Check on the elder who wants to vote but needs a helping hand.
Choose your two. Stay connected. Follow through.
That is how the math starts mathing and how our community turns its potential into power.
Join the campaign: Vote With Us: You Plus Two (Facebook)
