The turnout was lower than usual but the spirit was as high as ever on Tuesday as dozens of Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) students, staff, faculty and administrators turned out for the annual March to the Polls.

The crowd gathered in front of the Boyer Building to hear student leaders and university administrators, including Interim President Dr. Marcus H. Burgess, outline the importance of the event. Then, with a DJ pumping everyone up with lively beats, the students marched off to the Tarboro Road Community Center to cast votes – chanting and carrying posters.

“I’m glad as the interim president of Saint Augustine’s University to stand before you knowing that we continue this amazing tradition on behalf of the Board of Trustees, our faculty, staff and amazing students, alumni and supporters,” Dr. Burgess said. “We gather here today to march to the polls to show our civic duty in this historical, spiritual event.”

Noting that the event was billed as “Rock the Vote,” Dr. Burgess continued: “Rock the Vote symbolizes the rock quarry from which this campus was founded, and on Christ the solid rock we always will stand and we know all other ground is sinking sand. It is also a beautiful legacy to the resilience of the people who went before us, who sacrificed their lives so that we can have the rights to liberty, justice and equality – but, more importantly, today, the right to voice our opinion and vote.”

Kristoff Strachan, president of the SAU Student Government Association, told his fellow students that the event was more than just a matter of casting a vote. “Today we are taking part in something bigger than ourselves,” he said. “We are doing something that represents our future and prevents our demise.”

With enrollment down sharply, the university’s March to the Polls was smaller than it has been in the past. Many SAU students spent Saturday fanned out across the city taking part in various campaign and get-out-the-vote efforts, explained Dr. Cindy Love, Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Support Services. While that is not unusual, the university’s low enrollment numbers made the absence of other students more noticeable, she said.

Common Cause North Carolina attended and brought food for the marchers to enjoy after voting. It was part of the organization’s efforts to forge bonds with HBCUs around the state, explained Bob Phillips, the group’s executive director. He added: “We don’t want these young people to be forgotten so we have always felt that it’s important to promote democracy and make sure we’re helping them.”

Phillips noted that Miles Beasley, a 2024 graduate of SAU, is employed by Common Cause North Carolina and works in their HBCU outreach effort.

Among the students participating in Tuesday’s March to the Polls was Deja Williams, a sophomore from Trenton, N.J., majoring in business administration. “This is my first time voting,” she said. “It’s definitely important to make sure my voice is heard.”