Donna Brazile, the DNC Vice Chair for Voter Registration and Participation recently gave an inspiring talk at a Voter Protection Litigation Update sponsored by the DNC National Lawyers Council. Speaking to a completely packed room, she encouraged attendees to “educate, advocate, and agitate” to ensure that voter registration and participation is not impeded in any way as the 100-day countdown to Election Day begins this weekend. Brazile, in her signature New Orleans accent, recounted her experiences as a youngster in south Louisiana going door to door asking neighbors whether everyone in their household was registered to vote. She also noted that voter suppression continues to be a tactic used to disenfranchise eligible voters (recounting how her own sister called her on Election Day 2008 to ask “how many forms of ID do you need to vote?” Turns out, at her sister’s precinct, the poll workers were requiring everyone to show their voter registration card, driver’s license, and a utility bill). Brazile closed with a reminder of the sacrifices made by so many during the civil rights era to secure the right to vote, and encouraged everyone to get out now and through Election Day to volunteer.
Virginia DNC representatives provided updates on the litigation pending in Florida and Ohio, and also provided the following information on how to get involved locally: To register with the National Lawyers Council and get ready to volunteer this fall, sign up here. For a one-stop shop on voting information, go to Gottavote.org. It has reminders for key dates and deadlines, and alerts on the status of voting rights in every state. It’s available in both English and Spanish (VotemosTodos.org). Please share it broadly!
Thanks to Kendra Perkins Norwood for this report.