- 6 months ago
In 2024, we are confronting a major election year with history and the rights of marginalized communities on the ballot. The disparities that Black and Brown people confront in this country are significant and growing from housing and employment to access to health care and access to capital. The Sundial Group of Companies which includes ESSENCE, the Global Black Economic Forum, Girls United, AfroPunk, BeautyCon and New Voices Foundation are coming together, along with our partners, to mobilize and ensure that we educate, mobilize and register voters to take action this November and into the future.
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00:00We're going to be joined again by Emily McMorris and Sophia Dennis and Rochelle Dennis.
00:06So let's talk about the first issue that I think many people are confused about is identification.
00:12Okay, I'm registered to vote, and I'm going to go out and vote in November.
00:16Do I have to take my photo ID with me?
00:20What do we think the answer is?
00:22And this will be a multiple choice.
00:24Yes, you have to take your ID with you.
00:27No, you don't have to take your ID with you.
00:31And C, it depends.
00:38We're asking us?
00:40Yes.
00:41I would say yes, because I feel like you need to have some sort of government documentation.
00:49Any other, any person disagree?
00:52Do you have to take an ID with you when you are going to vote?
00:57Ooh, timid group.
01:01So it's a trick question.
01:02It depends.
01:03Right, I'm about to say it depends on where you are.
01:05I know in Maryland, I don't need my driver's ID.
01:09I have my state registration, and when I come in, they just ask me my name.
01:13They ask me where, and they ask me my address.
01:17But we are, I will say, quickly seeing across states.
01:22Many states have been enacting so many different voter registration laws that are changing, and people are going to go to their precincts and not know what to do, or even if that precinct is even still there because they are constantly moving the goalposts on these things.
01:40So it depends on the state that you are in.
01:43And so for many people who say, well, then that's even more confusing, what do I do?
01:47Go to vote.gov.
01:49There are many other websites that you can go to that you can check your local laws, and it will tell you whether you need to show up with a photo ID or driver's license or passport.
01:58And if so, under what circumstances?
02:02Now, the second question is, okay, I don't have to show up with my ID in certain states, but I see that they're asking for ID, but only of certain people.
02:15What do you do then?
02:17What do we think the answer is?
02:19I go to vote.
02:19I know in my state, I don't need to show up with a driver's license or a passport, but I see that the black woman, they asked her for her ID, and the black man, they asked him for his ID.
02:34What do I do?
02:37So this is not-
02:38Go ahead.
02:40No, you go ahead.
02:40I think this may tie back to what Lene was discussing earlier about having different people who are stationed at polling locations to basically police and just ensure that everybody is being treated equally and fairly.
02:57And those people being stationed there would be able to report that people are being treated unfairly and that certain people are being basically being given the runaround and being told different information and being given hurdles to jump through while trying to vote.
03:15And I would say go to a poll watcher.
03:18So that's why this is important.
03:20Two things.
03:21Not just go to a poll watcher, because depending on where you are, it may work a little differently.
03:26But I also, and I know, Alfonso, you've talked about this, I would encourage everybody to also have a number on you that you can call and report.
03:38The DOJ has a number, and I believe you said a group before, Alfonso, but there are numbers that you can call to report them immediately.
03:49I see some of the comments coming in.
03:50You need to report it immediately.
03:53I would also say, before you get to that, please think, before you know, know your rights.
03:59We always talk about knowing your rights and criminal justice.
04:02Know your voting rights.
04:03Also know if your name has been removed from the poll.
04:09Because what Georgia is trying to enact and allowing everyday citizens to question whether or not their neighbor is able to vote or not and get your name removed is huge.
04:21Indeed, indeed.
04:23And so for folks, all of those are correct.
04:27If you see conduct at a voting booth where black people are being asked to do one thing, but white people aren't being asked to do the same thing, there are a number of things you can do, including talking to a poll station watcher.
04:38But you can also call election protection watchers.
04:43So the Global Black Economic Forum, in essence, we have a partnership with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law.
04:51And that partnership means that when you go into a voting booth or you go to a polling station and you see conduct that doesn't look right, you can call several numbers.
05:01There are voter helplines.
05:02One is 866-OUR-VOTE.
05:05Easy to remember.
05:061-866-OUR-VOTE.
05:09And you can call if you are the target of voter suppression or if you see others who are being targeted and they can provide support as well.
05:19Voter intimidation was such a huge, you know, I really want people to understand that we've seen, even as a reporter, we've covered stories.
05:27They have had rallying calls for people in many southern states to stand outside in places, especially where you're allowed to carry your weapons and practice voter intimidation.
05:40I mean, literally just standing there and being a presence, scaring people to not come to the poll, to not come out to the poll.
05:50So this is real, but it is because the threat wouldn't be so real if they didn't understand the power that you have.
05:57Yes, so let's shift to another common question that we hear, which is if anyone has an interaction with the criminal justice system, right?
06:05If you've had any type of interaction with the criminal justice system, the question is, can you still vote?
06:12Yes or no?
06:16So it depends.
06:18We're talking about felonies in some states, some states allow for, if you have, if you are a former felon, let me just say that, with, and have a record, you served your time, you are able to vote.
06:39That does not, that is not in every state.
06:42That's what we're saying.
06:42No, if you can or not, before you go, some states do allow that.
06:46And here's the thing, another reason why it's important to vote, because that may be a referendum.
06:53So when we're talking about that down ballot, these are measures that you're also voting for in your area.
06:59I know we talked about the president, but you need to see what referendums are going to be on that ballot,
07:04because we've seen many states coming out and pushing to allow, if I've done my time, why am I not able to?
07:12These are tactics that people use to keep people from voting, and you've got to know that they are targeted.
07:20Correct.
07:21Correct.
07:22And to put a finer point on that for those, it falls into several different categories, right?
07:27So there are certain states where your voting rights are retained even while you're in prison for a felony conviction.
07:33There are very few, Maine, Vermont, and D.C.
07:36And then there are other states where voting rights are restored automatically after you get out of prison.
07:42So right after you get out of prison, your voting rights are restored.
07:45That's, you know, California and Rhode Island and Pennsylvania and a few other states.
07:51And then there are states where your voting rights are restored automatically after you complete a sentence,
07:56including prison and probably parole and probation.
07:59That's to Ebony's Point, Georgia is one of those states, or West Virginia.
08:04And then you have those states where they are trying to take away your right to vote just because you've had some interaction with the criminal justice system.
08:14So once again, make sure you check your local laws to understand what your rights are.
08:19And all of these resources are publicly available.
08:22That's a question we often hear.
08:23And I think we have one more question, which is certification, right?
08:28Certification of votes.
08:30So after you vote, will your votes, will the election that you're voting in be certified?
08:39And the answer is yes.
08:42That's what the Department of State in every single state is responsible for certifying the election.
08:49And so that is their role.
08:51So after you vote, they're supposed to count those votes along with a number of other agencies that are involved
08:57and then certify those votes through the electoral process.
09:02I'm sure there may be many, many other questions, but Ebony, did you have to say on that certification?
09:09We can't forget what happened in Georgia.
09:12Can't forget that infamous call where somebody called and said, I need 11,870 votes.
09:17Can you get it for me?
09:19That's why it's so important.
09:22Can't forget that call.
09:24And so, and we cannot forget what, it's so important why it is important to have civic engagement.
09:33Because when we talk about the president and everything else,
09:36it is also important for us to begin to look at other roles we can fill when it comes to voting,
09:43to become an elector, whether or poll watcher or something.
09:47We must all really become more civic engaged because it's not like we can't have that call again.
09:55Exactly right.
09:56Somebody may go through with the call.
09:59But Georgia gave us Senator Raphael Warnock, John Ossoff, and then Dems got the House.
10:10That's how important that was.
10:13And that was the precursor for what kicked off January 6th.
10:19And this is why we are doing this town hall.
10:22This is the first of many engagements that we will be taking a part in for Paint the Post Black.
10:28This is an important election, as you've heard, during this entire town hall.
10:32And we thank all of you for joining us.
10:34Closing comments, I'll start with Rochelle, and then we'll go to Sophia and Ebony.
10:39Yeah.
10:40So just to really close out, we've already talked about the importance of mobilizing young voters to get out and vote.
10:48The power is really within us to really set what we want our future to look like.
10:52Everything is being impacted from, you know, where we go to school to our jobs.
11:00And really, we have an active role in securing our future.
11:04And, you know, as we do more of these, it is really important to also encourage your friends to vote, the people around you to vote.
11:11Because if we're not voting, we don't have a voice.
11:15So make sure that you're encouraging everybody in your life to get out and vote.
11:19It doesn't matter how young you are.
11:21You have a voice.
11:22And that's what I want to leave everybody with.
11:25Sophia?
11:26Yes, absolutely.
11:27As we sit here today and discuss the political process, getting involved in the political process, especially for young people who may be first-time voters, discovering their political identity, it is incredibly important for us to remember that voter apathy is not the solution, will never be the solution.
11:47And any time you are faced with that, we must continue to encourage people to go out and vote and to encourage people to find faith in the democratic process.
11:59While it's really important for us to encourage people to vote, it's also really important for us to give others the tools and the information and the infrastructure to get other people active, to encourage others, to interact with others on a political level.
12:16So while we're having these conversations about getting people out there to vote, it's also really important for us to also give people the tools to also inform others, to have political conversations, to create these communities where they can engage with one another, where they can register to vote with their friends, where they can go out and vote with their friends, and to really engage in politics in a fun and interesting way.
12:41So go register to vote, become politically active, have these conversations with your friends, and yeah, that's my message.
12:53Ebony.
12:55Really quickly, I just want to say this.
12:58I spoke with a number of civil rights organizations, and they said the biggest thing that they feared this time is misinformation and disinformation.
13:04So I encourage people that as they are talking around the kitchen table with their friends and families, that they are sourcing the information that they get.
13:14They are repeating what is facts, but may not always be popular.
13:19I want to thank you, Alfonso, for allowing me to even be here on today.
13:23I appreciate it as a member of the Black press, and one of the very few members of Black-owned and operated stations is in that White House briefing room.
13:32I'm telling you that there is so much more at stake than we know, and as said before, this is not just about Trump or Harris.
13:42This is generational.
13:43Your votes are generational.
13:46This is about the courts.
13:47This is about kitchen table issues that you talk about all the time and how it's going to affect your life.
13:52So I just want everyone to leave here and remember that your vote is your power.
14:00Don't give up your power.
14:05Thank you, Ebony.
14:06Thank you, Sophia.
14:07Thank you, Rochelle.
14:08Thank you, all of you for joining us.
14:10Thank you to all the speakers who also joined us this evening.
14:13We hope that you have more information.
14:17We hope that you are registered to vote.
14:19And if you're not, we hope that you do get registered to vote.
14:22As you've heard throughout this town hall, our right to vote is sacred.
14:26And if we don't exercise it, someone else will.
14:29And their vote will decide the trajectory of our lives.
14:33So we hope this serves as a meaningful resource to you.
14:36I want to thank the Sundial Group of Companies, which includes Essence and the Global Black Economic Forum and Girls United and Afropunk and Refinery29 and Beautycon.
14:46And the New Voices Foundation for helping to support this town hall.
14:51The stakes here are high.
14:53And we want to make sure that you all have the information, the resources, and the support to exercise your constitutional right to vote and protect your future.
15:01Please visit paintthepolls.com.
15:04Over the next few weeks and months, we will be adding more information and resources to the site.
15:09And please stay tuned for more town halls to make sure that we are keeping you as informed as we can through this historic election year.
15:19Thank you again for joining us.
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