With more than a month to go before Election Day, Houston, TX-based radio personality Madd Hatta is utilizing the airwaves to register 5,000 voters at an area mall.
The efforts of the 97.9 the Box DJ, who kicked off his “One Vote” voter registration drive at 5 a.m. yesterday (September 30) during his KBXX FM morning show at Sharpstown Mall in Houston, attracted support from various entertainers and sports figures including rapper Chamillionaire.
The Grammy winning rapper was among the first to register on site as he spent the day at the mall urging people to come out and register.
News of the One Vote drive arrives as Congress prepares to vote on the $700 billion bailout package for the economic recovery of the country’s financial system and Wall Street on Wednesday (Oct. 1).
Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain and vice presidential candidate are expected to cast their vote on the plan, which was rejected by the House of Representatives on Monday.
Organized by 97.9 The Box, Respect My Vote and Houston Youth Vote in partnership with Radio One and the Hip Hop Caucus’ Respect My Vote campaign, the One Vote drive is part of a larger effort to register at least 50,000 voters in a single day.
According to Madd Hatta, the effort marks an important step in dealing with issues affecting the country.
“We are at a crucial time in history. Bank failures, a $700 billion bailout, recession, depression, corporate scandals…the list is endless. We need to be active or see the United States fail as a country,” said the DJ, who vowed to stay on the air until 5,000 voters are registered. “It is time for everyone to be proactive in getting the right officials elected to represent the correct causes and part of that is by being a part of the voting process.”
Chamillionaire joins a virtual who’s who of Texas-based celebrities who registered to vote or came out to lend their support towards the One Vote drive.
Among those on hand were UGK’s Bun B, Paul Wall, Lil Keke, Slim Thug and the Boss Hogg Outlawz, Trae the Truth and ABN Gang, Wine-O, Petey Pablo, Yung Ro and Lil O, producer Papa Reu, Houston Texans member Jacques Reeves and Def Comedy Jam comedian Ali and Houston’s biggest DJ coalition, the Go DJ’s.
The One Vote Drive comes as voters gear up to go to the polls on Nov. 4 to elect the next President.
A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows a close race between the presidential contenders with Obama leading McCain 51 percent to 46 percent.
In addition, the poll found that Obama lead McCain 49 percent to 43 percent among survey participants who were asked which candidate showed better judgment in the face of the economic crisis.