Mississippi Votes Opens New Office in Hattiesburg
Mississippi Votes recently opened a new office at 2200 Hardy St., Suite 10.
in Hattiesburg, enhancing its efforts to educate and mobilize voters across the state. The nonprofit organization focuses on increasing civic engagement among young people and historically underrepresented communities.
Led by young Mississippians, the organization aims to make voting more accessible by offering voter education, registration assistance, and community outreach. The new office is expected to play a key role in engaging students from the University of Southern Mississippi, as well as Hattiesburg locals and residents of south-central Mississippi ahead of the upcoming elections.
“Mississippi Votes is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that focuses on building and strengthening youth civic engagement in Mississippi. We do this by hosting voter registration drives on college campuses as on high school campuses. We host political education forums that are nonpartisan and we also educate students on their voting rights,” said Will Adams, Youth Organizer at Mississippi Votes. “We also have internships, fellowship programs, that students can work with us on at colleges and universities across the state, where they also host voter registration events to strengthen engagement on campus and throughout the state.”
Mississippi Votes has been actively involved in voter outreach throughout the state, utilizing grassroots organizing and digital campaigns to inform residents about voting rights and election procedures. They regularly host voter registration drives and informational sessions to encourage civic participation. The new Hattiesburg office will provide a physical space where community members can receive in-person assistance.
“I am the field organizer for the 23 counties in the Mississippi Votes South Region,” said Keenon Walker, Field Organizer for Mississippi Votes. “I hold voter registration and voter education events in areas prone to low to low voter turnout. My goal is to build relationships with community organizations to help us expand our outreach, so we can promote a culture of civic engagement in those areas.”
“As the Regional Coordinator, I manage the day-to-day operations of the South Regional office, provide support and assistance to the Field and Youth Organizers, work to build rapport and partnerships with organizations and stakeholders, assist with planning and implementation of community/organizational activities, and overall promote the importance of voter registration, voter education, voter engagement and volunteer efforts,” said Arnecca Byrd, Regional Coordinator.
As municipal primary elections approach, Mississippi Votes is focused on increasing turnout among young and first-time voters. They have previously collaborated with student groups and local residents to promote voter awareness, and the new location in Hattiesburg is expected to strengthen these partnerships. Volunteers and community members are encouraged to visit the office to learn more about voter registration, important election dates, and how to get involved.
For more information, visit msvotes.org or stop by 2200 Hardy St., Suite 10.
