'Power is in the vote': Rally held to encourage Black, minority voters to hit primary polls early

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- With signs in hand, dozens filled the parking lot in Milwaukee's Midtown Center on Wednesday afternoon to spread one message.

Get out and vote. Early. 

“The power is in the vote. This is how we dispel those folks who aren’t looking out for our interests and put folks in place who are," said Reverend Gregory Lewis, the president of Souls to the Polls. 

This comes as Wisconsin's primary elections are set for next Tuesday, Feb. 21. 

Many are watching the upcoming race as results from the nonpartisan election will determine the final races for the general election on April 4.

On the ballot is a seat for a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice.

“We need to keep moving forward and encouraging the vote and making sure that we get out and vote because it’s our civil right," said Sedan Smith, the youth chapter president for Breaking Barriers Mentoring Inc. 

According to Alderman Mark Chambers Jr. in the second district, the Midtown Center is the "highest voting ward in early voting sites in the city of Milwaukee."

Organizers said having the push for early voting is especially important during Black History Month, to recognize a time when voting wasn't always a right. 

“We have folks who have died for the right for Black folks and women and minorities to have this right to vote. This is a very, very powerful weapon that we should be using," Lewis said. “Your future is in your hands. You can sit around and just let things happen to you or you can come get involved and make things happen for you.”