Rock the Vote sponsors concert
James Baker
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: News
With the state arriving at the deadline for voter registration Oct. 6, Rock the Vote is sponsoring NWA Vote, a concert event in historic downtown Rogers 7 p.m. Oct. 3.
The event will have voter registration booths set up, with organizers getting last-minute voters signed up and distributing information on how to deal with absentee ballots and finding polling stations.
The Corey Montgomery Band, a modern-blues group, will be the first to go on-stage. The Great Scots, a Fayetteville-based band that played at Bikes, Blues & BBQ, will be the second band performing.
Melissa Vest, the event's co-organizer along with her husband Eric, hopes to get 100 to 200 people to attend the free event, and said they're just getting people out to vote. "It's not Democrat, and it's not Republican," Vest said. "It's fun to do and it's kind of different."
Senior David Winans said that while he loved the bands and thought the event was a great idea.
"I probably don't have enough gas money to get there," Winans said.
However, junior Ever Cavender had some reservations about the event.
"A college town may have been a better choice," Cavender said. "It just seems that in the more established parts, by that I mean they have an older population, if they were going to vote, they would have registered already," he said.
Since a concert would be risky around places like Bella Vista, "Why not hold registration drives there that have discounted golf or Sam's Club coupons?" Cavender said.
Vest said the idea for the event arose when they saw that a lot of people didn't realize the voter registration deadline was Oct. 6. Vest and her husband began working with Rock the Vote, but a long application process and an early registration deadline had everyone in agreement that they should create their own event. However, on Wednesday Rock the Vote confirmed their sponsorship of NWA Vote.
"Our main goal is getting people out," Vest said. "We encourage families to come out, there's plenty of picnic space and room for the kids to run around," she said.
The concert will be held at the old train station in downtown Rogers.
The event will have voter registration booths set up, with organizers getting last-minute voters signed up and distributing information on how to deal with absentee ballots and finding polling stations.
The Corey Montgomery Band, a modern-blues group, will be the first to go on-stage. The Great Scots, a Fayetteville-based band that played at Bikes, Blues & BBQ, will be the second band performing.
Melissa Vest, the event's co-organizer along with her husband Eric, hopes to get 100 to 200 people to attend the free event, and said they're just getting people out to vote. "It's not Democrat, and it's not Republican," Vest said. "It's fun to do and it's kind of different."
Senior David Winans said that while he loved the bands and thought the event was a great idea.
"I probably don't have enough gas money to get there," Winans said.
However, junior Ever Cavender had some reservations about the event.
"A college town may have been a better choice," Cavender said. "It just seems that in the more established parts, by that I mean they have an older population, if they were going to vote, they would have registered already," he said.
Since a concert would be risky around places like Bella Vista, "Why not hold registration drives there that have discounted golf or Sam's Club coupons?" Cavender said.
Vest said the idea for the event arose when they saw that a lot of people didn't realize the voter registration deadline was Oct. 6. Vest and her husband began working with Rock the Vote, but a long application process and an early registration deadline had everyone in agreement that they should create their own event. However, on Wednesday Rock the Vote confirmed their sponsorship of NWA Vote.
"Our main goal is getting people out," Vest said. "We encourage families to come out, there's plenty of picnic space and room for the kids to run around," she said.
The concert will be held at the old train station in downtown Rogers.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Joan Barrett-Roberts
posted 10/03/08 @ 12:09 PM CST
A big thanks goes to Melissa Vest and her husband, Eric Vest for supporting registering voters in this area!
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