Miami, Fla. – Members of Black Greek Letter Organizations in South Dade united to register voters and hand out voter education resources to residents of the City of South Miami over the weekend, in advance of the Oct. 11 deadline to participate in next month’s midterm elections.

Volunteers for the community canvassing activity consisted of adult community members and University of Miami students.

Participating groups included the Iota Pi Lambda and Eta Delta Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Iota Nu Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Omicron Delta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; (University of Miami) United Black Students; South Dade Branch of the NAACP; and the Equal Ground facilitating group.

Equal Ground is a community-centered organization engaging the rising American electorate through equal access to education about voting and empowerment. Its affiliates work for issues ranging from equality, a living wage and healthcare, to fair elections, climate change and social justice.

Their efforts focus on the rising American electorate with the goal of building and expanding current capacity in underserved communities. Engagement actions include strategic planning, leadership development, petition collection, voter registration, voter education and turnout.

Teams of volunteers canvassed the city’s residential blocks to register new voters, update current voter information and distribute election guide palm cards to South Miami residents.

"Canvassing activities such as these serve as a conduit that empowers eligible and unregistered voters in exercising their constitutional rights amidst voter suppression efforts,” said Harold Ford, first vice president of the South Dade Branch of the NAACP.

“It is encouraging to see the number of young people willing to go out and encourage others to participate in this process.”

The right and significance of voting “is just as important now as it was 100 years ago," said Ryan Scott, president of the Eta Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

New voters in Miami-Dade County needed to be registered by the Oct. 11 deadline to participate in next month’s midterm election.

Event volunteers engaged citizens from several hundred households in an effort to boost participation.