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THIS IS A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO REPEAT WHAT I OFTEN SAY WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME IN THE COMMUNITY, HOW DO WE IMPROVE THINGS? A LOT OF HARD WORK, COLLABORATION, INCLUSIVENESS, BUT I'M GONNA REPEAT THIS MORNING WHAT I ASK PEOPLE TO ALWAYS REMEMBER.
IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE FROM THIS MORNING, ELECTIONS MATTER.
TO OUR MEDIA FRIENDS, ELECTION, ELECTIONS MATTER.
IT INFLUENCES ALL OF OUR DECISIONS AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT.
CITY OPERATIONS, STATE, BUDGET, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POLICY, OFTEN THAT WE DON'T LIKE, ELECTIONS MATTER.
SO I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY TO REMIND EVERYONE, YOU'VE GOTTA TURN OUT TO VOTE.
YOU'VE GOTTA REGISTER, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO TURN OUT TO VOTE.
AND REALLY ACT LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT, BECAUSE IT DOES.
THE LEVEL OF HEALTHCARE THAT YOU RECEIVE, THE PUBLIC SAFETY, OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM.
WE ALL KNOW THIS, BUT WE'VE GOTTA PRACTICE IT.
THERE'S A LOT OF ENERGY ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY.
SO HOW DO WE MARSHAL IT AND PROTECT THE PROCESS? THAT'S ALSO WHAT ELECTIONS ARE ABOUT, PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY.
SO I'M PROUD TO CALL EVERYONE TOGETHER TODAY AND ANNOUNCE THAT VOTE HOUSTON, A NONPROFIT FUNDED BY FOUNDATIONS, CERTAINLY THANK YOU TO HOUSTON ENDOWMENT, HAS BEEN WORKING ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY, INFORMING PEOPLE, HELPING FOLKS KNOW WHERE VOTING LOCATIONS ARE, CERTAINLY EARLY VOTING, EARLY VOTING.
YOUNG PEOPLE, PLEASE PARTICIPATE LIKE NEVER BEFORE.
LET'S GET OUR SENIORS TO THE POLLS, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GREAT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT METRO.
WE WANNA DO, WE WANT ALL HANDS ON DECK.
MY DEPARTMENT CHIEFS ARE HERE TODAY IN A PROPER WAY THEY ENCOURAGE THEIR CLIENTS, JUST VOTE.
IT'S SUCH, IT'S, IT'S SUCH A, A MATTER THAT OUGHTA BECOME HABIT FORMING.
SO THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
WE HAVE 26 ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS HOUSTON, VERY DIVERSE, VERY PROUD.
SOME ACTUALLY WEAR THEIR LINKS PINK WITH US THIS MORNING.
BUT IF THERE'S A LANGUAGE ISSUE, SHOULD NOT BE A CHALLENGE.
AND AS SOMEONE THAT HAS SPENT HIS ENTIRE ADULT LIFE AS A PUBLIC SERVANT BEING ELECTED, I'VE SEEN THE GOOD AND THE BAD OUTCOMES OF ELECTIONS.
MOST OF THE TIME, THE BAD OUTCOMES IS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A LARGE TURNOUT.
AND TODAY, ALL INDICATIONS ARE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A STRONG TURNOUT, BUT WE'VE GOT TO REMIND EVERYONE IF THEY'RE OFF AT COLLEGE OR IF A SENIOR'S IN A RESIDENTIAL CARE, HELP THEM.
THE CITY'S DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.
SO THANK YOU TO THE 26 VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY LEADERS.
IT'S WHAT MAKES HOUSTON GREAT THAT WE COME TOGETHER.
THANK YOU TO ALL MY DEPARTMENTS.
AND NOW, TO ASSIST THOSE THAT DEPEND ON PUBLIC TRANSIT, ON METRO'S EXISTING ROUTES.
WE ARE TRULY DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS,
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AND I'M REAL PROUD OF THE CHAIRMAN OF METRO, ELIZABETH BROCK.UM, THE MAYOR ALWAYS REMINDS US THAT ELECTIONS MATTER.
WHO YOU VOTE FOR WILL DETERMINE HOW OUR COMMUNITY LOOKS, FEELS, AND OPERATES, WHICH IS WHY I'M SO EXCITED THAT WE VOTED FOR MAYOR WHITMEYER BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE, UH, THE GREATEST MAYOR THAT WE HAVE EVER SEEN IN HOUSTON.
AND IT'S BECAUSE WE ALL TURNED OUT TO VOTE AND WE ALL RALLIED AROUND HIM.
SO, UH, IT SHOWS THAT THE PROCESS WORKS, RIGHT? I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GET OUT TO THE POLLS TO VOTE AND TO HELP OTHERS TO DO THE SAME.
SO WHETHER YOU HAVE FRIENDS OR FAMILY OR, UM, ELDERLY OR ANYONE WHO NEEDS HELP TO GET THERE, WHICH IS WHY METRO WILL PROVIDE FREE RIDES TO ANYONE ON ELECTION DAY WHO HAS, UH, THEIR VOTER REGISTRATION CARD, BECAUSE WE DON'T EVER WANT, UM, TRANSPORTATION TO BE A BARRIER TO GETTING OUT THE VOTE.
UH, ON ELECTION DAY, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BRING YOUR, UH, VOTER REGISTRATION CARD AND YOU HAVE ACCESS TO WHETHER IT'S THE LOCAL BUS, METRO LIFT, RAIL, CURB TO CURB, OR COMMUNITY CONNECTOR.
UM, YOU CAN ACCESS ANY OF THOSE FREE BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO VOTE, ELECTIONS MATTER, AND METRO WILL BE THERE, UH, TO SUPPORT AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS, NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO GET THERE.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER, UH, TO ANNA FOR OUR SPANISH TRANSLATION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? AND IF NOT, MS. BOSTIC, I KNOW YOU DIDN'T PREPARE TO SPEAK, BUT I CAN'T THINK OF ANYONE THAT CAN PUT THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN A BETTER, BETTER SETTING.
IF, IF YOU WANNA COME UP AND TELL ME WHAT YOU'VE SEEN IN YOUR YOUNG LIFE, THAT IF VOTING HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE.
AND I WISH EVERYONE HERE COULD COME UP AND TALK ABOUT YOUR VOTING EXPERIENCE.
BUT HOUSTON'S A GREAT CITY BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE BEFORE US, MANY NOT ABLE TO VOTE.
SO I WANT MS. BOSTIC TO COME GIVE A TESTIMONY OF HER HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON VOTING, BECAUSE PEOPLE DIED FOR THE RIGHT TO VOTE, NOT JUST OVERSEAS, BUT ACROSS THE US IN SOME VERY CHALLENGING TIMES.
AND LIKE I SAID, I LOOK OUT AND ALL
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THE HARD WORKERS AND IMPRESSIVE LEADERS HERE TODAY, BUT I'M NOT GONNA END THIS PRESS CONFERENCE WITHOUT A LITTLE BIT OF A HISTORY LESSON FROM MS. BOSTIC.JUST, I'VE ALREADY TOLD THEM, ELECTIONS MATTER.
WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER A LONG TIME AND WORKED TOGETHER SO MANY YEARS AGO.
BUT I GREW UP IN A TIME WHEN ALL OF US COULD NOT VOTE.
I GREW UP IN A TIME EVEN BEFORE WE HAD POLL TAX, BUT WE COULD NOT VOTE.
BUT THERE WERE ALWAYS PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED THAT AS AMERICAN CITIZENS, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO VOTE.
AND SO AT THE TIME WE COULD NOT VOTE, THERE WERE ALWAYS PEOPLE WHO WERE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES, TRYING TO GET VOTING PASSED FOR EVERYBODY.
THEN WE HAD TO PAY, FINALLY GOT A POLL TAX.
AND SO BEFORE WE COULD VOTE, THEN WE HAD TO PAY A POLL TAX.
AND THEN WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, THERE CAME A TIME WHEN THOSE OF US WHO WERE IN COLLEGE BELIEVED THAT WE HAD THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
AND SO WE WERE GONNA DO WHATEVER IT TOOK, WHATEVER IT TOOK.
THERE WERE THOSE OF US WHO DID NOT LIVE THROUGH THAT ERA BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE GETTING KILLED IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM FROM VOTING.
BUT THERE WERE SOME OF US THAT SURVIVED IT ALL.
AND BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO SURVIVE IT ALL, EVERYONE SITTING IN THIS ROOM, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, YOU HAVE NOW THE RIGHT TO VOTE IF YOU DID NOT HAVE IT BEFORE.
MANY VOTES ARE GIVEN, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S ONLY ONE OR TWO, FIVE OR SIX, SEVEN OR EIGHT THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN WHO WINS THAT ELECTION.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EACH OF US IN THE ROOM, WE TELL OUR CHILDREN, OUR GRANDCHILDREN, WE TELL OUR FAMILY MEMBERS, WE ASK THEM, "HAVE YOU VOTED YET?" MM-HMM.
"WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO VOTE?" IF IT, THEY HAVEN'T REGIS - WELL, NEXT, YOU NEED TO REGISTER SO NEXT TIME YOU CAN.
BUT MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS TO US DAY TO DAY IN OUR LIVES IS DETERMINED BY THE PEOPLE THAT YOU VOTE INTO OFFICE.
I CAN'T TELL YOU WHO TO VOTE FOR BECAUSE YOU KNOW OR SHOULD KNOW WHO YOU'RE VOTING FOR IN TERMS OF HOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WILL IMPACT YOUR LIFE.
SO IT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT THAT IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, IF YOU HAVE NOT VOTED, YOU VOTE.
IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, IF YOU NOT HA- HAVE NOT TALKED TO YOUR CHILDREN - UH-HUH.
OR YOUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN, YOU SAY TO THEM, "HAVE YOU VOTED YET? IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GO VOTE.
TAKE THE TIME AND GO VOTE." AND THEN ALWAYS MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALL REGISTERED TO VOTE.
SO AS OUR MAYOR KNOWS AND AS I KNOW, IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT THIS COUNTRY OF OURS THAT'S BUILT UPON DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES CONTINUES TO BE THE COUNTRY THAT ALLOWS ALL OF ITS CITIZENS TO VOTE, BUT IT'S UP TO YOU TO VOTE.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR WISDOM.
'CAUSE YOU CAN'T GET THAT WISDOM IN A BOOK.
AND SHE DID THAT SINCERE MESSAGE NOT
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KNOWING I WAS GONNA CALL HER.AND, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S A STATEMENT OF WHY HOUSTON IS SO GREAT.
ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I THINK WE NEED TO GO, GO VOTE.
UH, JUST, UH, HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS RESOURCE FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE? SIR? HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS RESOURCE FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE? HOW MANY ARE THEY GONNA HAVE? THE BUSES? YEAH.
RIDE SHARE, WALK TO THE POLLS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
CERTAINLY THE BUSES PLAY A VITAL ROLE, BUT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
IF YOU NEED A RIDE TO THE POLLS, WE GOT MICRO TRANSIT WORKING IN THIRD WARD, VERY POPULAR TRANSIT SYSTEM.
IT OUGHTA BE USED TO GO VOTE IF THAT'S YOUR NEED.
THE HEIGHTS HAS IT, BUT REALLY ACROSS HOUSTON.
AND THAT'S THE REASON FOR THIS PRESS CONFERENCE IS TO LET EVERYONE KNOW EARLY VOTING IS GOING ON.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ON NOVEMBER 3RD.
YOU MAY HAVE A WORK PROJECT, COULD BE WEATHER, COULD BE YOUR RIDE.
AND CERTAINLY, LET'S TRY, SHOW UP IN STRONG NUMBERS ON NOVEMBER 3RD.
AND AS MS. BOSTICK AND OTHERS WOULD TELL YOU, IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE.
YOU NEED TO VOTE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT BECAUSE IT DOES.
THE TYPE HEALTHCARE YOU GET, TYPE CITY SERVICES, STATE'S BUDGET, FEDERAL POLICY, THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK OUT.
AND HERE'S SOMETHING I'M GONNA LEAVE YOU WITH.
IF YOU DON'T, YOU'RE LETTING OTHER PEOPLE MAKE LIFE DECISIONS FOR YOU.
AND YOUNG PEOPLE, IT BECOMES A HABIT.
IT JUST OUGHTA BE WHEN THERE'S AN ELECTION, YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GONNA BE, GONNA VOTE.
BUT IF YOU DON'T VOTE, OTHER PEOPLE, A M - A MINORITY, A GROUP OF PEOPLE, I COULD SHOW YOU SINCE I'VE BEEN RUNNING FOR OFFICE SINCE 72, A STEADY DECLINE IN VOTER PARTICIPATION, AND THAT'S ALARMING.
YOU CAN'T GET FRUSTRATED AND NOT TURN OUT.
YOU GOTTA DO JUST THE OPPOSITE.
YOU GOTTA GET MAD, ENERGIZED, AND MOTIVATED TO GO VOTE.
AND SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT IS SPREADING THAT WORD.
26 DIVERSE ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THIS GREAT CITY.
DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE ENCOURAGED THEIR CLIENTS TO GO VOTE.
AND IT'S PRETTY NEAT WHEN YOU'RE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND YOU SAID, "I VOTED." LITTLE STICKERS.
LET'S, LET'S GO TO WORK AND GO VOTE.