DONALDSONVILLE - Donaldsonville has hundreds of new registered voters thanks to a festival aimed at creating fun and creative ways to encourage people to vote.

The Vote and Vibe Fest was put together by nonprofit Pumps to the Polls.

"We started with a group of ladies that wanted to put on their heels, get dressed up and go and vote and encourage to go with us. It started as a movement it is now an organization and we are nationwide," founder Sherie Thomas said.

Thomas said the main goal is to get as many eligible voters registered and eager to vote on local and national issues, with a priority on young people.

"Each new voter symbolizes that we are making an impact around the state of Louisiana and that we're getting more people, not just registered to vote, but also taking the pledge to vote and making a promise to vote in every election," Thomas said.

They lead the fest with two other organizations, Rural Roots Louisiana and Power Coalition. Rural Roots Louisiana's mission is to come to small, unprivileged communities and try to preserve them through assistance with weatherization for their homes and land ownership.

"Keeping our community and their homes is the way to keep Donaldsonville a community, which has always been the controlling vote of Ascension Parish. We are also pushing the event to get people back into voting," Rural Roots Louisiana member Ashley Gaignard said.

Once people got registered to vote, there was food, music and dancing.

"Voting is a vibe and so we're not just out here registering to vote, we're also having fun together and so when you bring people together to do things and they know they're doing it as a community, you have much better turnout," Thomas said.

Pumps to the Polls says they plan to have a fest in Lake Charles in late August.