Voting advocates are taking to the streets of St. Martinville to encourage a greater turnout for the runoffs.
A new chapter push coalition and black voters matter came together to knock on doors in the city to utilize their voices through the polls.
“If we want to be able to see changes made we’ve got to do it at the polls," Reverend Wilfred J. Johnson said.
Reverend Johnson and activist Donovan D. Davis of A New Chapter Push Community Coalition say seeing the general election turn out in the city was alarming.
“Our partners Black Voters Matter it came up on their radar they said we need to do something about this we need to go to St. Martinville. Until the people know that because they are a majority as a minority, they need to exercise that right to vote," Johnson said.
In the general election 52 percent of white registered voters turned out, while 42 percent of registered blacks voted, and nearly 10 percent registered were from other races.
Keturah Butler-Reed and Omari Ho-Sang of Black Voters Matter say turning out to the polls is vital because it affects our everyday lives.
“We don’t know that all these issues we’re facing are found on the Ballet,” Reed said.
“It's important because they control the budget. They control the city finances, the decisions that they make are, are something that hits closer to home than, say, a US senator. And so we want to be able to highlight this election. But we also want to go a little bit deeper and start to educate people on the relevance and importance of this election,” Ho-Sang said.
Residents of St. Martinville will choose the next Mayor of the city, council members for districts four and five, and sales tax renewals, for the run-off election.
“These are decisions that impact your food scarcity or your food availability, your housing, your education and the quality of education that our children are receiving our health care I mean, every element of society really is determined and decided by the people that we elect." Ho-Sang said.
"We need people to get out and vote. We need minorities to get out and vote so that's why we are educated and empowered above the Black vote,” Davis said.
Early voting ends Saturday at 6 p.m.
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