The ACLU of Missouri, in partnership with the St. Louis American, the Missouri State Conference of the NAACP, and iHeart Media, is hosting a voter education program and Ferguson-Florissant School Board candidate forum on March 26 from 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Greater Grace Family Church, 3690 Pershall Road, Ferguson, MO 63135.
At 6 p.m., the St. Louis County Board of Elections will give an informational presentation on the new cumulative voting system, followed by a question-and-answer session with ACLU of Missouri Legal Director Tony Rothert.
At 7 p.m., all three school board candidates will participate in a candidate forum, moderated by “BJ the DJ” Holiday from iHeart Media and Chris King, editor of the St. Louis American.
The forum is part of a voter education effort in the Ferguson-Florissant School District following a court decision that found the district’s former voting system in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act.
On Election Day, voters can cast two votes for Ferguson-Florissant School Board candidates. Voters may cast both votes for one candidate, or split them by giving one vote each to two different candidates.
This system, called cumulative voting, gives minority groups an equal opportunity to gain representation in government. Voters will use this system on April 2 to elect two members to the school board.
For years, the Ferguson-Florissant School District’s voting system diluted the voice of Black residents. In 2014, ACLU of Missouri filed a lawsuit on behalf of several residents and the NAACP against the Ferguson-Florissant School District.
The voter education program and Ferguson-Florissant School Board candidate forum will take place on Tuesday, March 26, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Greater Grace Family Church, 3690 Pershall Road, Ferguson, MO 63135,
The event can also be watched via Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/ACLUMO.
