A steady crowd of Washington residents showed up to Union Temple Baptist Church in Ward 8 to cast their votes in the late afternoon on Election Day.
Many brought their children with them to witness the voting process at the church, which had a record number of early voting and absentee ballots, poll workers said. The parents spoke of the obligation of helping their children understand the importance of voting and fulfilling one’s civic duty.
The children looked eager to assist their parents cast ballots, smiling as they exited the church with “I voted” stickers.
“When you vote, you vote with your best intentions for the betterment of your child and the betterment of everybody — even people that can’t vote that I don’t know,” one parent, Joetta Fluelleyn, said.
Another parent, Alicia Moore, was concerned about how gentrification has pushed some African Americans out of Washington, where the Black population has fallen from a high of 71.1% in 1970 to 41.6% in 2025, according to census figures.
“If we don’t show up and represent ourselves, they’ll continue to keep trying to push us out of the city,” Moore continued. “The city was Chocolate City. I think that it still should be Chocolate City, and I think that we have the power to go ahead and make it back Chocolate City.”
“Shout out to our ancestors. There’s a lot that they had to go through. This is an important step for us to galvanize together and to take back our power.”
Bamidele Aina, a junior at Howard University, is a reporter and photographer for HUNewsService.com.
Who’s Who in the Slideshow
Bamidele Aina shot the photos in his slideshow on Election Day at Union Temple Baptist Church, a polling site in Ward 8 in Washington, D.C., for the Howard University News Service. Here are the voters in the photos in order of appearance:
- Joetta Fluellyn holds a voting sign outside of Union Temple Baptist Church.
2. Union Temple members Alicia Moore, with her 17-year-old son, Nkosi Crawford.
3. Joetta Fluellyn, from left, with her daughters Wren and Jessica after voting.
4. Ava Simmons holds the hand of her dad, Devonta Simmons, after he voted.
5. A young girl holds her parents’ hands after they voted.
6. Ava Simmons with her mom, Khiana Lane.
7. Union Temple Baptist Church, a polling center in Ward 8 in Southeast Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
8. Khiana Lane and DeVonta Simmons with their daughter, Ava.
9. Angela Wiskur reflects on voting for her unborn child outside of Union Temple Baptist Church.
10. Arnice Hamilton and Marquis Burke with their two children.
11. Southeast D.C. resident Lindsey Downton pushes her two children into Union Temple Baptist Church.
12. Brandy Harper, pushing her newborn baby in a stroller, enters Union Temple Baptist Church to vote.
13. Father and son walk into Union Temple.
14. Shanice Young, with her young daughter, prepares to vote.
15. Marquis Burke looks lovingly at his 6-month-old son, Korontay.
16. Union Temple members Alicia Moore and her 17-year-old son, Nkosi Crawford.
