78-year-old Clayton County man cast a vote for US president for the first time in his life
Channel 2 Action News went along as a man who voted for president for the first time as a 78-year-old.
Elmore Kelly says if he can do it, so can anyone else.
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“Make me feel like I’m somebody,” Kelly said.
That’s what he told Channel 2′s Tom Jones as the two walked to Kelly’s early voting precinct at the Old Jonesboro courthouse complex.
Kelly was eager as he was about to do something he had never done in his entire life.
“This is your first vote for a president,”Jones asked him.
“Yes,” he replied. “Like a farm boy. I never did get into all that.”
He says he was too busy working on farms trying to provide for his family. Also, he couldn’t read or write. Kelly says it wasn’t that he thought voting wasn’t important.
“I kind of thought it was important but I just didn’t have nobody to push me to do that,” he said.
Then he would see Jonesboro Mayor Donya Sartor during their daily walks, eight years ago. She spent years trying to convince him to register to vote.
“About eight years later, we finally got him registered. It took some time and convincing,” Sartor explained.
Sartor shared a video of a community activist sitting on Kelly’s porch as he helped him register to vote.
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Kelly voted for Sartor and now is about to vote for the president for the first time.
Jones asked him, “Do you think this election is important?”
Kelly replied, “Yes. Very Important.”
With that, Kelly went inside and in less than 10 minutes came out with his prized, ‘I secured my vote’ sticker.
“First time. In my lifetime. 78-years-old,” he said, beaming.
Kelly wants everyone to know help is available if you can’t read or write or if you need help with the computer screens. He says it’s important to get the help you need and exercise your right to vote.
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