Souls to the Polls event set for Sunday at Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office

Alan Festo, The Gainesville Sun
·2 min read
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Some soul power will be coming to Gainesville this weekend in an effort to motivate people to vote early in the upcoming midterm elections.

Paris Winningham of NBC's "The Voice" fame is scheduled to perform at the Souls to the Polls event set for Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office, 515 N. Main St., behind the Josiah T. Walls building.

Winningham, who finished in the top three of last season's competition, sings a variety of adult contemporary, R&B, country and gospel music.

A Souls to the Polls event will be held from 1-4 p.m. Sunday at the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office to encourage Alachua County voters to vote early before the Florida Primary Election to be held on Aug. 23. Paris Winningham of NBC's "The Voice" fame is scheduled to perform at the event.
A Souls to the Polls event will be held from 1-4 p.m. Sunday at the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office to encourage Alachua County voters to vote early before the Florida Primary Election to be held on Aug. 23. Paris Winningham of NBC's "The Voice" fame is scheduled to perform at the event.

Also scheduled to perform are the Florida Fellowship Super Choir and local hip-hop artists. The event also includes free food, bounce houses, face painting and more.

"Souls to Polls is a cultural event that is designed to encourage parishioners to go vote, and vote early," said Karl Anderson, senior pastor at Upper Room Ministries. "This event also gives them the opportunity to be an informed voter as candidates are invited to come and pass out information and also to speak concerning their vision and platform."

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Federal races in the upcoming election cycle include those for U.S. Senate and U.S. House District 3. State races include governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, agriculture commissioner and Florida House District 22.

Local races include Gainesville mayor, Alachua County Commission District 2, School Board Districts 1, 2, 3 and 5, Gainesville City Commission Districts 2, 3 and 4, and circuit judge for the Eighth Judicial Circuit Group 12.

The church that brings the most parishioners out to vote will receive $500, Anderson said.

"We're looking for a great turnout. We're trying to break records here," Anderson said. "To encourage early voting, particularly in the urban community."

The Primary Election is Aug. 23, with early voting beginning Saturday and running through Aug. 20. The following early voting sites are open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Gainesville unless otherwise noted.

  • Supervisor of Elections Office: 515 N. Main St,

  • Millhopper Branch Library: 3145 NW 43rd St.

  • Tower Road Branch Library: 3020 SW 75th St.

  • Orange Heights Baptist Church: 16700 FL-26, Hawthorne.

  • Legacy Park Multipurpose Center: 15400 Peggy Road, Alachua.

  • J. Wayne Reitz Union: 655 Reitz Union Drive, UF Campus.

  • Alachua County Agriculture and Equestrian Center: 23100 W Newberry Road, Newberry.

The General Election will be held on Nov. 8. Early voting dates, times and locations have yet to be announced.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville Souls to the Polls event to feature candidates and more