Video Transcript
Just like constantly look at the camera, Okay. We are connecting. Looks like he's dead. You guys are. Bye. You're alive. What's up everybody? It is turn up today. You know it. We've been doing it for about three or four weeks. I don't know I've been locked in my House. I can't keep track, but it's to turn up and today I couldn't think of a better company to be talking about voting rights. They are my sister girls that we work every single day at the Leadership Conference fighting hard to make sure that when you register, you can actually get on the rolls. when you go to vote, you can vote and when you cast your ballot, it actually counts today I am joined by. Hannah Fried, who is the executive director of all voting, is local Leon Warren senior vice President for campaigns and programs Lee Chapman Boating director for the Leadership Conference and Vanessa Gonzalez to his executive vice President for field and member services. We are about to get straight into the turn up but welcome ladies. Thank you. Thank you. Alright. So if you don't know what turn up Tuesday is we come here every week. We'll be here every single week with different guests. To talk about voting rights in our country and we're doing it on Tuesday cuz guess what else happens on Tuesday Election Day. So this time we are doing a whole bunch of different stuff this week. We have a whole National activation. We're gonna talk about that in a little bit, But first there, I think you have seen it all over the news from Wisconsin to Ohio to now, Georgia and Florida. There's a lot of stuff happening in our country around having access to voting, particularly during a pandemic and in order to make sure that we have access. Who has to do their job legislators So we have Lele Warren here today. Who's gonna tell us a little bit about what is going on in Congress around creating access to the ballot? Laine can you tell us like what's the state of play and what's happening? sure? Thank you for having me. I'm so happy to be here so I think it's important to begin by just level setting just telling people a little bit about where we were so when when Covid- 19, when that pandemic hit, there were many States that were still preparing to have their primaries and. Left many States to scrambling really not knowing what to do so they had to adjust to new CDC public health guidelines, but they all also had to respond to providing many more options for people to allow people to vote. so it became clear that States in the very beginning need more funding in order to adjust to this new reality and so the voting rights community came together and we went to the Hill and demanded funding. it was very clear. The state's need funding and we were able to secure 400 million dollars in funding relief to the States to help them prepare for these upcoming elections and also the general that's coming up fairly soon, you said. You're a- four zero-zero million. Yes 400 million. That's a lot of money. It is a lot of money, but unfortunately, it's not enough money and that's one of the problems with Cares Act. I would say there are three basic problems with the cares act. Was that in order for these States to get the money they had to pony up money, so there was a 20 percent match for the States if they wanted to receive this federal funding and obviously that's not the best position for the state to be in considering all the things that were going on like we're in a we're in a crisis situation right now the second problem with the Char's Act, it provided no firm policy strings to this money and so for us, it's very essential that we not only provide money to. But also provide firm guidelines for how that money should be used, so we would want that money to be used for to expand early voting. No excuse absentee voting expand more opportunities for people to register to vote more public education and then also to make in person voting safe and make sure that they comply with the CDC guidelines and I the third problem with this with the Char's Act is it didn't provide enough money and I think that's what you were alluding to earlier with your question, we only got 400. We need by conservative estimates at least four billion dollars in order for the States to adequately prepare for the upcoming election. So where we are now we are in the process now of advocating for additional funds for three point, six billion dollars for this next stimulus package this stimulus for and we're also advocating for policy guidelines and the elimination of this match requirement. So that's where we are and we're working very hard and. Support from everyone who's tuned in to help us get past this final Mark and get us over the hurdle so that we can secure this money to ensure a safe and fair election for 2020. Now we don't turn up for no reason we turn up cuz there's we have a problem and we know that the solution with the solution is and right now, Congress. it feels like a broken record over and over, do something and give us the money so we can save our democracy. I know. Did the first step of the 400, but the three point six billion is still need, and we're gonna talk a little bit more about what people can do to help you in your advocacy. lanna. I wanna go to you so stay now there's 400 million dollars. It's been pushed out into the States. We still need three point six. What are they gonna do with all of this money like that's a lot like 400 million is a lot of I don't even know what A million dollars feels like so 400 million dollars. I'm like, Oh, I'm starting to sweat over here. so what do they do with all of that money? I mean number one thing is. Don't be like Wisconsin and I mean, I say that not like a little bit lightly, but actually not really right. I mean the stuff that voters faced in Wisconsin earlier in April was unconscionable even by the standards of our life now in a pandemic that voters had to choose between their health and their their democracy, their right to vote their civil rights is not how this country should be now in 2020, but that is the choice that people. The state of Wisconsin had to make and they had to make that choice because state officials did not do enough to ensure that they could cast a ballot. they didn't make sure that voters could get a mail in ballot. They didn't make sure that they were safe in person options for people to vote for people who didn't get their ballot or who just cannot vote by mail for lots of good reasons, they may not have a fixed address. They may have a disability that requires that there be An in-person voting option they may need language assistance. Those are all good reasons that people need a safe option to vote in person and also election officials and state officials can't just be saying what we're gonna just have our whole say vote by mail without actually making those ballots available to people you need to make. That's that Wisconsin was a mess. We took up on them already. We're gonna turn up again on them next week, so stay tuned. but Ohio did also just have a primary and it seemed like it went okay. We didn't see people standing in a long line. So like what did Ohio was Ohio good was it not like what happened with that state. I mean, look it depends on what you mean by okay. Right, I mean, like historically low turnout is probably not okay and you know I think there again election officials said. Okay, We're state officials said. Okay. Look. we're gonna turn this into a vote by mail. But then they don't even get people an application for a ballot, much less an actual ballot. they sent Postcards a postcard two people to say, hey, you need to get yourself an absentee ballot well, thanks a lot and you know your question was what are it's gonna do with this money. I mean that's what they need to do with this money they need to get ballots in hand, they need to create options for people to return them. That's stuff like prepaid postage. It's stuff like drop boxes right there. They're gonna be people who don't wanna send. Mail in a US Postal Service box right cuz they wanna feel like they got there right we need to make sure that people have those options and that's what state officials need to be doing right now with those funds and with the responsibility that they have to every single voter in the state and especially historically disenfranchised communities. Yeah, you know I'll be honest. I've been working in the voting my space on and off my whole career. It's sad though, but some of these things don't sound. To new to me about black and Brown communities is being marginalized in voting experiences, putting their lives on the line to get the franchise. We would love to hear from you Know Leadership Conference is turning 70 this year. we were some of the co-authors of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, so our origin story is really rooted in the legacy of providing access to the vote for all people. What are some of the parallel that you're? And we were just in Selma last month. It feels like a lifetime ago, but we were just in some across the Edmond Pettis Bridge. What are the parallels from 55 years ago when John Lewis took to that bridge to risk his life that we're seeing in today's voting experience? Thanks Ashley. Will you know? I'm gonna take it way back to 1770 - six. Alright girl. We don't have a whole hour. We only got 30 minutes so it's very briefly was established, but it really just shows how you know throughout his. There's been a struggle to achieve a quality at the ballot box in particular for communities of color. Those who've been historically disenfranchised people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency. So I said, I wanna take it back to 70 1770 - six because when this country was established only White male property owners could vote, and that was only five percent of the population and we saw the franchise expand a little bit when African-american men were given the right to vote With the fifteenth. Amendment and you know during Reconstruction, we had 16 African Americans that were elected to Congress but then there was you know contraction on the right to vote when States started implementing poll taxes all White primaries grandfather clauses literacy tests. we saw felony disenfranchisement laws and massive voter intimidation, which really set us back and made it harder for people of color and in particular black voters in the South to cast their ballot. You know we saw a little bit of expansion with the Nineteenth Amendment when women were given the right to vote. this year is the hundredth anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment. We saw further expansion when the voting Rights Act of 1965, which you referenced to a signed after you know years of struggle in the civil rights movement and then with the 20 -sixth amendment when in 1971, when the voting age was lowered to 18, but you know, I just wanna say all this because we've seen the right to vote. And contract, but you know there's still a long way for us to go until we get to that a hundred percent citizen participation. you know elections usually only have around 50 percent voter turnout so there's a lot to go and we need to really work to expand the franchise and we still see that voters of color. you know our our have a hard time casting their ballot in many States around the country. I just like to point out that while this country's origin story was rooted in only White men bowling's Turn Up Tuesday is rooted in women voting. I mean look at this. Like getting it done, okay people. that's how you turn up. Okay. Alright. Vanessa. I'm I'm ready to turn up. People are listening. Also remember if you're watching this and you have a question about the history or what Congress can do or what needs to happen in the States. I've heard from Hannah and Lee and Leon and people are ready to act. We're here because we wanna create pathways for people to get involved. So if I'm just like scrolling on my Facebook page and I stumble on the. What can I do? Yeah? Thank you. Ashley. This is exciting so there's plenty for people to do no matter where you are in this range we have from someone who's just kind of their interest because it keeps being on the news to someone who is more advanced and maybe you've even run your own campaigns because at the end of the day we all have to remember voting is personal. It's really important that we don't wait until we're necessarily personally impacted if you show up at that line and you get turned away or they're told that your name is not on voting role. It's pretty hard to fix that. You're you're done that day and so we really wanna make sure that people are advocating and understand what they need to do before they go to the polls and to remember that state that local state and federal officials work for us. Yes, a part of that is making sure that we are allowed no matter who we are no matter where we live, no matter our language that we speak if we are allowed to vote, then they have to be able to provide the pathways as we all know that it doesn't happen easily in our country and Our history and so we gotta go all in so we need to make sure that we're talking to our families. I know it's really hard right now in this time, but it's crucial that everybody make sure that they log on and they check out Secretary of state websites make sure that you are registered to vote and all of that good stuff is updated If you're scrolling through Instagram, Twitter and you come across the leadership conference or all voting is local with Tass or And Still I vote we've given you. Big options you can get engaged and one of the ways that we can do that is if you go to And Still I vote log on. Take a look dot Org dot Org. You will see some really great content accessible content that tells you how to plug in by not only listening to all of us and some of the great folks that have actually has had on and throughout the previous Tuesdays, but you can join us for a tele-town halls. We're community leaders. From the communities of color and communities, most impacted, we'll be telling you directly with the community needs to look out for that. you can everybody's got a phone these days or most of us and you can start texting neighbors. We have information that if you sign up And Still I Vote dot org. we will reach out to you and say, hey you want a text day. You got some extra time and we can make sure that we are connecting you to voters within your area to really get that message out. you can play this really critical and pivotal role. you can also Email folks. A lot of us are sitting around with our laptops all day stuck in between Zoom calls, maybe at the end of the day when you can kinda come down a little bit just add that one more piece to send an email to your elected official about what they need to do to make sure that your right to vote is safe, secure and accessible. We can't let them take advantage of this time. right now. Yes. Okay. So there's a lot that you all just said we talked about state legislator. We talked about secretaries of state. We talked about members of Congress, Leon. I have a question for you. It seems like there's a lot of players and how you actually run an election. Can you break it down? like why call my Congress members for some of this call My Secretary of state for some of the like it's a lot of people involved like why can't I just call one person and fix this. It should be simple, but how basically how do we re elections in this country? So let me just start by saying there are a number of players in this space right and in order for the secretaries of state to do their job, they need to get funding they get funding at the state level, but they also get funding at the federal level so one of the things that we want to do and this moment we're in a crisis moment where States need more money in order to make sure that their elections operates smoothly. so we want people to engage at the federal level to secure the money and once the money move. From the federal level to the state level, then advocate for how that money should be spent so there are various entry points in order for people to weigh in to make sure that we secure the right to vote and it's and while it seems layered and they're multiple entry points, all of those entry points are enormously important because these elected officials as Vanessa say they work for us right and so they are compelled to do something and take action. On what they're hearing so if people in their district is very they're very interested in what is happening if they're concerned about their right to vote, particularly at this time when so many of our communities are hurting and suffering and they want their voice to be heard whenever they weigh in with this election, officials and elected officials elected officials at the federal level and election officials at the state and local level. It really does help to inform what. What those legislators do and so one of the things that we really need people to do is to make sure that they weigh in so that legislators know that they care about this issue and that they want something done they they want responses. They need money and resources in order to address the issues that we've raised okay. So Hannah, I'm gonna come to you and then it's like Ping-Pong right now. cuz I want I have so many. And I'm like watching the clock and it's going fast. Okay. So I'm a voter, let's say, let's let's like go. We're in Dream world Okay and all the elected officials Democrat Republican Independents have done what we want in this country and that's expand the right to vote for all. so we're living in this utopia of a voting and I'm a voter. What do I need to do a big part of this is voter education? I came. Pretend like I said utopia's so hard for voters to get access to the vote, but let's pretend like it is right. What do I need to know about being able to vote and staying safe in cot? such a great question, so number one thing to do is make sure you're registered and while you're at it, I will plug make sure your friends and your neighbors are your neighbors are registered too. you can usually go to your Secretary of state website or call your County and confirm that you are on the voter rolls. You can update your voter registration. Many States have a deadline for that. so you know, sometimes it's 15 days. Or 30 days out, so make sure you know what that is and get your information updated. That's the number one way that you can do to update my photo registration cuz I I just realized that yesterday, I'm sure people lose. you know there's so many good reasons and especially right now. It's so important to update your voter registration because if you're gonna be voting by mail, you wanna make sure that that ballot goes to the right place. so that brings us to the next step right. So once you've gotten yourself registered you need to make your plan to vote. Are you going to vote by mail and? How are you gonna get that ballot? usually again here you can get that through your Secretary of state or your Board of elections, Your County board of elections and you can go to their website in some place. You can give them a call or even send them an Email. I just went through this today where I live and I emailed my sister and my parents to tell them how to get there absentee ballots so that we can vote safely during Kobi, there will always be people who want to vote in person who need to vote in person and so for those folks. Really important to make a plan to vote and figuring out when you're gonna do that if you're in a state that has early voting going to an early vote location can be a great way to avoid lines on Election day and ensure you have time to make your voice heard in the upcoming election. so no matter what you do no matter how you vote make sure you're registered and make your plan to vote and while you're at it tell your mom Mother's Day is coming up. make sure she gets her bed The greatest gift from the greatest gift on Mother's Day is to ask her is she right exactly. y'all you can turn up on me if I haven't updated my voter registration by next turn up Tuesday cuz that is not okay. I just realized I was like I moved you know you sometimes you work so hard you forget you for to take care of yourself. Okay. I have a question from one of our viewers. I don't know if you heard this one is a tough one. Is there a finish line in the long March for voting rights? Leigh what do you think I would say the finish line. it's still a ways away away. you know we still have you know a dent to make into this, but we're working a coalition of organizations are working every day to make sure your right to vote is protected. you know groups are litigating right now. they're in the courts. The groups are advocating on the federal level and also in the state level, but we still have a long way until we get to that goal of a hundred percent participation and that's when you know it really takes individual voters like Hannah was saying to mobilize and make sure that. Friends and family are registered and they know really what's at stake during the election. You know it's our health care. It's our education. There's so many different things that matters. so we have a ways to go, but we're advocating every step of the way in coalition others wanna weigh in on that question. Do we think that there is a finish line in this long fight for voting rights? It's like this is a sermon topic. You may not come in my lifetime, but it's gonna come others have thoughts on that. Yeah. I mean, I think you know the job and of an organizers ideally to work yourself out of a job right. Everything is like great. I don't know that will happen in my lifetime. I would love it but I do think that you know the day when everybody regardless of language accessibility needs where they like in. Anything they just know that they're gonna get the ballot that they know that that day they're gonna vote. They know that they have that day off of work. They're gonna go about like that. It's just such a norm that people have it out. You know we have 100 percent voter turnout in all elections across the board right cuz we're not just talking about federal elections of those local elections. Some of the stuff comes up through school board elections. you know that people really just feel like it's a normal part of life in this country, but I. We don't think we're gonna get there until we at least have some access that is equitable. Yeah. Alright Y'all. We have only a couple more minutes. I like to close out every turn up this way because it's it's hard doing this work right now. it was hard before Covid-, 19 and it's even harder now because the Hill that we're climbing is a little steeper. But before I ask my last question, I just have to say if you are watching or you watch. These are the women that are gonna save our democracy. you have these women are fighting every single day. so if you don't know their names, learn them they're people that might not be written in history books, but actually are making history as we speak. So I just wanna say personally, thank you and being a part of this turn up. Okay. We have a couple more minutes. I want everyone to answer this. I'm gonna start with you, Vanessa and finish with you. Leon. What is one thing in this moment that is giving you hope. Oh yes. The one thing in this moment is that we all know that those who would suppress our votes are gonna take advantage of this time and what gives me hope is this amazing creative ways that people are organizing themselves like outside of organizations and like pushing back fiercely and whether that's like through you know playlist' going all night. It's like theme to something specific whether it's women's issues getting on and having virtual town halls and marches like I love it because you see the energy. There we just gotta make sure it's spreads. I love it. What is giving you hope for. I think that the fact that voting rights is something that everyone's talking about now and that people know I think you know for a long time. We've all kind of been working behind the scenes, but now you know you turn on the TV and they're talking about voting rights. We're seeing the long lines and Wisconsin with people wearing masks. so that gives me hope that people are seeing the impact on on on individuals every day. Hannah let's give you a. I think what gives me hope and I'm sorry if you're my child crying in the background. My child gives me hope most of the time but I mean you know how can you not be inspired by people voting in spite of what's happening? I mean when you see people in line to vote, making a choice that they should never have to make. I mean that if that does not motivate you if that does not help you shake off the exhaustion, the frustration the fear I mean it will it really well. It's been so inspiring. Laine close this out What? Gives you hope I think seeing the perseverance of people and the adaptability and even though there are obstacles and challenges that people face that they are Ari to the occasion, they are saying you know, look we will not settle. We might not be able to March in the streets, but we will get on zoom. We will write. we will Tweet we will do whatever we have to because we realize that our lives are at stake. Our The future of our kids lives are at stake. We have so much at stake right now and so the determination the sheer determination of young middle-aged people older people to engage in. Process and say we will not give up this is a righteous fight and we are going to win that gives me hope I normally don't answer this question. but today I am and the thing that gives me hope is all of you getting to work alongside each of you every day in this fight is truly an honor and a blessing and no never in a million years. What I thought this little black girl from Youngstown, Ohio would have been afforded this privilege. so thanks for keeping me going if you wanna turn up with us every single Tuesday, go to. Still, I vote dot Org. We have lots of activities that you can do around advocacy around getting your own T shirt engaging in all the things this week and every week until Election Day because we are going to make sure that every person that is eligible eligible to vote can and has their ballot count. Thank you so much And Still I vote dot Org and turn up. Let's go y'all. Bye. Thank you. Bye.