Cenla natives undertake national online voter registration campaign

Bishop Joe Simon -- a Simmesport native, Grammy-winning R&B artist and Gospel minister now living near Chicago -- is conducting an online voter registration campaign in preparation for the Nov. 3 presidential and congressional elections.

He has enlisted the help of Dr. E. Faye Williams, president of the National Congress of Black Women, formerly of Alexandria and now living in Washington, D.C.

"Our mission is to empower the American people to participate in our online and mail-in grassroots voter registration campaign," Simon said.

The intent is to register citizens to vote "regardless of race, creed, color, gender identity, religion or national origin," he continued. "You must be registered to vote in order to vote in the upcoming Nov.3 presidential election."

Deadline to register for the Nov. 3 election is Oct.5 in person/by mail and Oct. 13 online.

S i m o n said it only takes a few minutes to register online.

In addition to encouraging first-time registrations, Simon said citizens who have moved or changed their name since the last time they voted should update their registration information.

"Bishop Joe Simon grew up and has family in Simmesport and I grew up in Alexandria," Williams said. "We are definitely in favor of getting as many people registered as possible, without regard to which party they are in."

Williams came close to being Louisiana's first African American elected to Congress since Reconstruction when she polled 48.6 percent of the votes against Clyde Holloway's 51.4 percent in the 8th Congressional District election in 1986. She knows firsthand that "every vote counts."

The 8th District included Avoyelles. Several local leaders supported Williams' campaign, including the late Raymond Laborde and now U.S. District Judge Tucker Melancon,who appeared in newspaper ads endorsing Williams.

Williams said she and Simon had hoped to launch voter registration efforts in communities across the country, including their home region of central Louisiana. The coronavirus pandemic prevented that from happening, so they set up an online voter registration campaign.

"Bishop Simon and I have been working on our online voter registration project for several months now, when we realized we would be unable to personally go into communities to register people in person," Williams said. "There is so much at stake in the 2020 elections, so I am thankful to Bishop Simon for bringing in the prayer warriors. If we ever needed them, we need them now.

"If nothing more," she continued, "the coronavirus has taught us that we are not in charge of God's world. God is still in charge, and we need prayer warriors to plead our case."

Simon said he had hoped to be able to base his in-person voter registration efforts in Louisiana at the Simmesport Community Center, where he plans to set up an out-reach ministry center that will include his Chicago-Simmesport International Records recording studio. It will also feature educational and music programs for youth, he said.

He hopes to finish setting up that program in the near future.

"If you are not registered to vote, you've moved since the last time you voted or changed your name, go to https://www.usa. gov/register-to-vote," Simon said. "Check Voting and Elections and follow the prompts. If you need help, call the helpline at 877-805-8447 and we'll have someone to assist you."

That site is an official U.S. government website.

Simon also discusses the voter registration drive on his website at http://joesi-monministries.org

"Don't forget to vote,"Simon said. "Be sure youare registered so that when Nov. 3 comes, you are prepared to make your vote count."

Simon said the "freedom to vote is your most important political right. Voting can and should influence the government. Together we can make a difference."