Ferguson, Missouri, has seen a surge in voter registration since a white police officer fatally
shot black teenager Michael Brown in early August, USA Today reported. Of the 4,839 people
in St. Louis County who have registered to vote since the shooting, 3,287 are residents of
Ferguson -- a city with a population of 21,203, according to the last census.
The city's population is predominantly African-American, yet most of its elected representatives
and a vast majority of its police force are white. "It's a great move when people come out and
register in mass like that," St. Louis 3rd Ward Committeeman Anthony Bell said, according to
USA Today. "They are sending a signal that we want a change. It doesn't give justice to the
Michael Brown family but it will in the future give justice to how the administration is run in
a local municipality like Ferguson."
Anthony Gray, an attorney who represents Brown's family, said citizens of Ferguson could
enact real change come the November elections. "It could completely change the political
landscape, the power structure, (and) the decision making," he told USA Today. "The
service to the African American community would almost quadruple because they would
be viewed as a credible and legitimate voting block."
Eight protesters demanding the arrest of Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Brown, were
arrested Sept 28 night during another tense standoff between demonstrators and police
outside the Ferguson Police Department.
Source: Huff Post