Knightdale — With a chorus of “Obama, Obama, Obama,” supporters marched from a rally at Malaby’s Crossroads Baptist Church to the East Regional Library Saturday morning on the first day of one-stop voting in Wake County.

Former Maryland Congressman and President of the NACCP Kwiese Mfume addressed the crowd later in the afternoon.

Event participants hoped to see 200 to 500 new voters registered during the day, said the Rev. James Dunn of Raleigh, who was one of the event’s organizers. In one-stop voting, North Carolinians can register and vote at the same time at one-stop voting sites until May 3, three days before the May 6 primary.

Those rallying at the church listened to the music of Anthony Harrison and Order By God Gospel Music Ministry, whose CD and song “Bless God America” that was written on Sept. 11, 2001, attracted the attention of the Barak Obama campaign. Campaign workers invited the group to sing.

Meanwhile, the supporters sang an Obama refrain.

“He’s gutsy, he’s smart,” said Jermaine Cherry, who works as a Heineken brand manager for Mutual Distributing and lives in Wendell. “I think the man is great. His message inspires me to become a worker in his campaign.”

And Mfume did his part on spreading the Obama message about the need for change in Washington, D.C.

He said 47 million Americans don’t have health insurance, jobs are going overseas, small businesses need support, some citizens live in poverty, and in some schools “drugs are more available than textbooks.”

“We’ve been in Iraq and Afghanistan longer than we were in World War II … We have to bring those troops home with a heroes’ welcome. …

“We have a mission to feed the hungry and teach the illiterate,” he said.

Mfume said Obama believes “America’s best days are still in front of it." Mfume also believes Obama is the man to fix the problems, and that caught Rhacinda Barner’s attention.

“I’m excited because I like his views and what he stands for,” the 28-year-old said. “I think we need a change in policy. I think he’s the best one to do it right now,”

DaLena High, 20, who is studying elementary education at East Carolina University, said she knows why Obama appeals to young people.

“I think he just appeals to them — his mannerisms, what he says, his speeches,” she said. “He’s just so captivating. When he came to Greenville, I missed that opportunity to go. I’m bummed about that. So I wanted to support him this way.”

Charles Dunn of Knightdale was attracted to the rally to show his support of the man he believes should be president and because he believes in being heard.

“It’s important to let people know what we’re doing,” Dunn said. “It’s a good time to get out and vote. It’s important.”

“This is a historic moment for me,” said evangelist Edna Mount of Middlesex. “I’m celebrating my 70th birthday tomorrow. I feel like it is a time for change. I’m a starched, suited and ironed Democrat. And I’ve been voting since I was 18 years old.”

High also mentioned history.

“This is a historic election,” she said. “We have a black man and a woman running. I feel so lucky and so blessed.”

Hal Perry, a photographer from Knightdale, believes Obama will take on big business and the North American Free Trade Agreement that he blames for the loss of jobs in America.

“Don’t go over there producing your products with cheap labor and then come back over here with your high prices and try to sell it to the American public whom you put out of work,” he said.