FROM STAFF REPORTS

Betty Morrison, 91, was fired up to march to the polls and vote on Saturday morning.

Before setting off with about two dozen others gathered for the Statesville Branch NAACP’s Souls to the Polls effort to encourage voting, Morrison led the group in a hymn and a loud “Amen” when asked if she was ready to vote.

As the group walked across the parking lot of the Iredell County Board of Elections Office to join the line of voters, Morrison recalled a time when casting her ballot wasn’t so easy.

During the Civil Rights Movement, Morrison was among those marching in Statesville for equal rights.

“We had tomatoes and eggs thrown at us as we marched, right here in Statesville,” she said. “That’s why it’s so important to me to vote. I’ve never missed a vote.”

Statesville Branch NAACP President Todd Scott also spoke about how important it is for everyone to exercise their right to cast a ballot.

“Some of y’all have fought for our right just to walk up there and vote,” he said. “This is the power we have — to vote.”

To encourage others to come to the polls, the NAACP will be holding two additional Souls to the Polls gatherings at the Board of Elections office on October 26 and November 2 beginning at 10 a.m. All are welcome to attend and enjoy hamburgers fresh off the grill, he said.

On Saturday, Souls for the Polls opened with a prayer by Rev. Brad Mullis, who gave thanks for “the work of so many who strive for free and fair elections and the hearts of those who want to protect the dignity and rights of every human being.”

Before marching to the polls, Lawrence Hall also led the group in several hymns, including “Amazing Grace.”

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