From the Vietnam War protests to the first Women’s March on Washington, D.C., Christy Grabove has been marching for more than 50 years.
On Sunday, the 65-year-old went to another rally. This time, it was in support of her midterm vote and all votes in Florida.
Grabove and nearly 50 people gathered in front of City Hall for the Count Every Vote rally from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Attendees were encouraged to donate coffee and energy bars to the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections office and to sign up to observe recounts.
“I grew up in an era where you don’t trust the government,” Grabove said. “You question.”
Our Revolution North Central Florida, an organization that encourages civic engagement, organized the rally in less than 24 hours, said Miguel Valdez, the chair of the organization.
Valdez, 34, said the rally supports supervisors of elections throughout the state as they recount the votes for the governor, senator and agricultural commissioner races.
“Instead of doing litigation, we’re out here saying, ‘Take the time you need to count every vote so we can have faith in this election and in our democracy,’” Valdez said.
As a cover of “The Times They are a-Changing” played over the speaker, Grabove, a retired nurse, held up her sign. It read, “Every vote counts in a democracy. What’s Rick afraid of? Truth?”
Several people spoke at the event including city commissioners David Arreola and Harvey Ward.
“Hopefully, we won’t have to do this too many times,” Ward told the crowd.
Attendees yelled “Count Every Vote” and “This is What Democracy Looks Like” as Freda the Boxer-mix barked in unison.
Heather and Shamrock McShane, brought Freda and their two sons, 9-year-old Oliver and 6-year-old Homer, to Sunday’s rally.
The family wore shirts printed with Oliver’s drawing of President Donald Trump as a clown with the words “Trumpy the clown” over it.
Freda’s shirt is in the works, the McShanes said. Sunday was her first rally.
“We’re in a state of alarm,” Shamrock McShane, 67, said. “We’re doing everything we can think of.”
Contact Hannah Beatty at hbeatty@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @hannahbeatty_
Janet Suggs, a 59-year-old Gainesville residents chants “Count Every Vote” outside city hall Sunday afternoon. About 50 people attended the Count Every Vote rally which was hosted by Our Revolution North Central Florida in order to support the Supervisors of elections as well as gain volunteers to assist with the recount.
