Tampa rapper Tom G headlines voter registration concert on Sunday

Florida's voter registration deadline is on Monday, Oct. 7 (and the deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Oct. 24).

Tom G wants to make sure everyone gets signed up, too. The OG Tampa rapper headlines a Sunday concert where, according to a flyer, the Supervisor of Elections and NAACP will be registering voters on site.

Joining Tom G on the bill are more heavyweights of the Tampa hip-hop scene including Big Britt, Pusha Preme, Kid Brick, Tae Bae, K-Luv and more. Food trucks, family-friendly entertainment and more are also on the agenda. Bring your lawn chair for the free event though, which happens at Ragan Park—1200 E Lake Ave.—from 2 p.m.-7 p.m. Fre$h P, who recently won best hip-hop act in the 2024 Best of the Bay awards, hosts. Even if you're already registered to vote, or believe you are, it's worth checking with your county's Supervisor of Elections office (either in-person, online, or by phone) ASAP to make sure your registration is up to date if you plan to vote this fall. Several GOP-led states have taken aggressive moves to purge voters from the rolls, and Florida has enacted several election "reform" laws that have voided vote-by-mail ballot requests or otherwise de-activated residents previously registered to vote.

This year's election in Florida has gained national attention in part because it could decide the fate of abortion access in Florida — where abortion is banned after six weeks of pregnancy — as well as a push for marijuana legalization. One initiative, which will appear on the ballot as Amendment 4, seeks to limit government interference in abortion decisions by enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution. If passed, it would legalize abortion up to fetal viability, about 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The other initiative, Amendment 3, would legalize the recreational marijuana use for adults aged 21 and older, and remove civil and criminal penalties for the possession of up to three ounces of marijuana.

Both initiatives have been aggressively (and some argue, unlawfully) opposed by Florida Republican Gov. DeSantis' administration and some of his GOP allies who have launched well-funded campaigns to oppose the measures. The Florida Democratic Party, on the other hand, has endorsed both measures for a “yes” vote.

Under Florida's state constitution, both proposed amendments require the support of at least 60 percent of voters in order to pass, and recent polling has been mixed on whether either initiative currently has the support they need. Many voters, pollsters note, remain undecided.

Four other less-headline-grabbing constitutional amendments will also be on the ballot this year, in addition to candidates for local and state elected office and for U.S. President (a race that's currently close in battleground states between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, polls show).

If you're unable to, or simply don't want to vote on Election Day, Nov. 5, you can also vote during Florida's Early Voting period. This Early Voting period varies by county, so you'll want to check your county's supervisor of elections office for more information specific to where you live.

For residents of Hillsborough and Pinellas County, early voting will begin Oct. 21, 2024, and last through Nov. 3, 2024. Early Voting locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and are open to all eligible registered voters in the county.

There's no cover for the Voter Registration Concert with Tom G happening Sunday, Oct. 6 at Ragan Park in Tampa. Readers are invited to submit their own events to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s things to do calendar.

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