SIDNEY — The “Rock the Vote” voter registration rally planned for Thursday evening at the Historic Sidney Theatre will go on as planned.
Shelby County Board of Elections employees were originally slated to take part, but board members voted on Tuesday to pull the organization out entirely.
Though Thursday’s event is nonpartisan and no campaigning is allowed on site, the Shelby County Democratic Party is collaborating on the event, along with realtor Kevin Jones.
Shelby County Board of Elections chairperson Dan Cecil sent a news release after Tuesday’s vote that said the level of collaboration, involvement and promotion with a single political party wasn’t discussed by Board of Election members and would jeopardize the bipartisan nature of the board’s work. Cecil is also the chairmen of the Shelby County Republican Party.
Shelby County Democratic Party chairperson Chris Gibbs, who is a former Board of Elections chairperson and former Republican Party chairman, said voter registration forms will still be available at Thursday’s event and will be turned into the BOE.
“I’m really disappointed for the sponsor of this event, Kevin Jones, that certain members of the Board of Elections turned what was conceived and advertised as a nonpartisan, campaign-free zone into a political issue,” Gibbs said.
“It’s ironic that this 2-1 vote aimed to pull public servants of a public voter registration event on National Register to Vote Day. Regardless, we will move forward with music, food, speakers and fellowship.
“Voter registrations will be able to be completed on site without any Party interference.”
