As Mobile’s special primary election draws closer, business owner Kimberly Knight and community organizer Reggie Weaver held the first “Civics & Conversation” forum on Thursday, July 25, at the Great Day Latte coffee shop in Downtown Mobile.
Serving as an introductory conversation on voter education, the event invited community members to join a discussion on understanding and strategizing of the upcoming 2026 fall elections. Attendees included Mobile District 1 City Councilman Cory Penn and community organizers from USA Health, Stand Up Mobile, and Dream Defenders Mobile.
Attendees were encouraged to voice their voting concerns, with many citing a lack of understanding around local government and a lack of collective organizing as their reason for joining. Weaver led the meeting with an overview of types of elections and a discussion around strategizing.
He opened the meeting explaining the difference between Alabama’s open primary, which requires voters to choose between a Democrat and Republican ballot for nominating candidates, and run-off elections which are held if a candidate doesn’t receive more than 50% of the vote. It’s these small details, rules and procedures that Weaver notes as a barrier to voter engagement.
Weaver continued with an explanation of special elections held due to a vacancy within a position and this year’s general election which will see the Democratic and Republican nominees face off.
“This [upcoming] special election is even different,” Weaver shared, referring directly to the Alabama August 11 special primary election for U.S. House Districts 1, 2, 6, and 7.
“If you live in Mobile,” he continued, “and you’re a Democrat…you can only vote for a Republican for this August 11th election.”
Weaver later opened the floor for reactions to the civics lesson, with attendees sharing a newfound understanding of the toll voting education takes on community members struggling for basic necessities from housing to healthcare.
Knight and Weaver closed the meeting inviting community members to the next Civics & Conversation scheduled for August 6th.
