Souls to the Polls crowd challenged to ‘stay in the way,’ hold politicians accountable

Members of Black fraternities and sororities were among those whom 32 candidates for local office were trying to win over during Souls to the Polls at Martin Street Baptist Church on Feb. 15, 2026. 

RALEIGH, N.C. — No amount of emphasis is enough to stress the importance of voting early and in person in the March 3 primary election. It’s the best option for sidestepping political tricks that could keep you from making it to the ballot box. North Carolina Black Alliance rallied residents toward that end during Souls to the Polls at Martin Street Baptist Church earlier this month.

The event was a joint effort with the Raleigh-Apex NAACP, National Pan-Hellenic Council of Greater Raleigh and Raleigh Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance. The main speaker was the Rev. Dr. Mark Gibson, who told the crowd to “stay in the way” of politicians by checking for them before and after elections.

“There are people who only show up when it’s convenient for them. But once elected, we don’t see them anymore,” Gibson said. “Some folk know how to campaign but don’t know how to care after they get elected.”

There were 32 candidates in the building vying for votes.

Attendees were reminded that accountability requires action — marching, voting and staying engaged beyond the primary.

Part of that accountability is making sure the candidates remaining after the primary election are individuals prioritizing what’s important to you. That’s done at the ballot box. Build your voting plan at SafeVoterNC.org.