North Side 'Count Every Vote' rally unites community before marching to Allegheny Elections warehouse

Thursday night's rally to help push the message that the state of Pennsylvania, and the country, must count every vote for a fair and honest election, was an incredible show of unity and community.

Typically, I like to go a little more lighthearted with my weekly photo essay, but the world is awaiting our state's votes, many of which are sitting inside black cases within the Allegheny Elections warehouse in the North Side. I still wanted to shed light on the people in Pittsburgh, and on Thursday night, various groups came together including OnePA, 1Hood, Working Families PArty, Bpep, and Black Voters Matter to host a block party of sorts. DJ Selecta kept everyone moving along with musicians from the Legacy Arts Project. Various catering companies handed out food, while screen printers made "Count My Vote" items.

Once the Cha-Cha Slide was over, though, it was all business as a large majority of the group marched from the OnePA offices to the elections warehouse a couple of blocks away. While the last ballots can't be counted until tomorrow due to a court order, it was an important symbolic gesture to show support to the election workers' commitment to democracy at ground zero for vote counting in the area. Ironically, it took place as the current president spewed lies on live television regarding the election process. Those who organized and marched represent many of those who have been left with so much uncertainty and marginalized by this administration.

Their votes not only count but, in a lot of ways, mean even more and carry more weight because of what's at stake for the Black and LGBTQ+ communities.