STATESBORO — Stacey Abrams, the 2018 democratic nominee for governor, spoke at Georgia Southern’s Performing Arts Center on Tuesday to encourage the campus to register to vote.

“Politics is our power,” Abrams said. “I am not the governor of Georgia, but that doesn’t mean I am not capable of still making the change I think needs to be made in this state.”

Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day. Throughout her speech, Abrams asked the audience to go out and find three people that are not registered to vote and encourage them to do so.

“Change does not happen if we do not show up,” Abrams said. “Change will come to all of us when we have the opportunity to demand that change. I believe that if we fight for fair and free elections, we’re not always going to win and get the people that we want, at least we can trust the process.”

Abrams does not intend to be undercounted from the narrative that is America, which is why she created Fair Count.

“There are too many communities that do not think their voice should be heard or will be heard, causing them not to participate in voting,” Abrams said.

Fair Count looks at the 2020 census and insures that the state of Georgia does not undercount its people and gives all of the resources to which it is entitled, according to Abrams.

A clear call to young people to participate in the census and voting needs to be made, as they will be the most affected by any changes in the state, according to Abrams.

“If young people don’t show up and participate in the census, they will go uncounted,” Abrams said. “Your tuition will go up but your student loans will also go up.”

Abrams shared that her grandmother had no belief and hope in the right to vote.

“‘By the time the right was real, I didn’t believe it was for me,’” Abrams said her grandmother told her. “She helped but she was never caught up in the spirit.”

The 2019 Municipal election for Bulloch County is Nov. 5. 

“There will always be those who try to deny you your rights,” Abrams said. “Your responsibility is not only to secure the rights that you are entitled to, but your job is to secure those rights for others.”

Sarah Smith, The George-Anne News Editor, gaeditor@georgiasouthern.edu