>> Sreenivasan: THE SENATE
FAILED TO EVEN OPEN DEBATE ON
NEW FEDERAL VOTING PROTECTIONS
THIS PAST WEEK.
THIS COMES AS GET OUT THE VOTE
EVENTS ARE RAMPING UP BEFORE
ELECTIONS ON NOVEMBER 2 THAT
INCLUDE GOVERNORS RACES IN NEW
JERSEY AND VIRGINIA.
I SPOKE WITH JUDITH BROWNE
DIANIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
ADVANCEMENT PROJECT, A CIVIL
RIGHTS ORGANIZATION THAT FOCUSES
ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND VOTING
RIGHTS ISSUES.
SO, JUDITH, RIGHT NOW, WE ARE AT
A TIME WHERE VOTING RIGHTS ARE
CHANGING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY
IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AND WE SEEM
TO HAVE A SENATE THAT DOESN'T
WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS,
DOESN'T WANT TO DEBATE THIS.
SO, HOW DO YOU MOVE FORWARD ON A
STATE-BY-STATE BASIS?
>> WELL, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS,
WE'RE SUING EVERYWHERE.
REMEMBER, THE SUPREME COURT
DEALT A BLOW TO THE VOTING
RIGHTS ACT IN THE SHELBY COUNTY
CASE BACK IN 2013.
THEY ALSO DEALT ANOTHER BLOW TO
THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT JUST THIS
PAST SESSION.
AND SO, IT'S MADE IT HARDER FOR
US TO PROVE DISCRIMINATION IN
COURT, BUT WE'RE STILL IN THIS.
WE'RE STILL FIGHTING USING
WHAT'S LEFT OF THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT AND USING THE CONSTITUTION.
BUT IT WOULD MAKE IT MUCH EASIER
IF THE SENATE WOULD MOVE TO
RESTORE THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT
WITH THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING
RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT ACT AND BY
PASSING THE FREEDOM TO VOTE ACT,
WHICH WOULD GIVE US STANDARDS
FOR HOW WE RUN ELECTIONS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
>> Sreenivasan: WHAT TO YOU IS
AT STAKE AT THE CORE OF ALL
THIS?
>> I DON'T THINK I'M BEING
ALARMIST TO SAY THAT OUR
DEMOCRACY IS IN PERIL RIGHT NOW.
NOT ONLY HAVE WE SEEN THE
WEAKENING OF VOTING RIGHTS LAWS,
WE SAW AN INSURRECTION ON
JANUARY 6.
WE HAVE SEEN AN UPBEAT IN ISSUES
AND LIES ABOUT THE ELECTIONS AND
THE OUTCOME OF OUR ELECTIONS,
WHICH HAS CALLED INTO QUESTION
THE INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTIONS
WITH AUDITS AND LAWSUITS, ETC.
AND WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT JUST
ABOUT THE ELECTIONS, BUT
REDISTRICTING IS UPON US AND
STATES ARE STARTING TO MOVE.
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING, EVEN IF
YOU LOOK AT THE STATE OF TEXAS,
WHICH ALWAYS HAS A PROBLEM WITH
REDISTRICTING, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN
IS THAT THE LATINO POPULATION
HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY BY ABOUT
TWO MILLION PEOPLE, BUT THEY ARE
NOT GOING TO SEE AN INCREASE IN
THEIR POWER, THEIR POLITICAL
POWER.
AND SO, THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE
GOING TO BE A MAJORITY PEOPLE OF
COLOR IN THIS COUNTRY AT SOME
POINT, BUT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE
TO EXERCISE OUR POWER IN WAYS
THAT MIRRORS OUR NUMBERS.
>> Sreenivasan: BEYOND THE
SPECIFIC GROUPS THAT MIGHT BE IN
THE CROSSHAIRS OF THOSE WHO ARE
TRYING TO DECREASE ACCESS TO THE
POLLS, WHY DOES THIS SERIES OF
CHALLENGES ON STATE LEVEL MATTER
TO ALL VOTERS?
>> WELL, IT SHOULD MATTER
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR COUNTRY
IS ONLY GOING TO BE AT ITS BEST
IF WE ALL HAVE A SAY IN CHOOSING
THE PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT US SO
THAT OUR INTERESTS CAN BE MET
WHETHER WE LIVE IN LOW-INCOME
NEIGHBORHOODS OR WE LIVE IN RICH
NEIGHBORHOODS, WHETHER OR NOT WE
HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT POLICING OR
CHILD CARE.
RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE ARE SEEING
ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS A POWER
GRAB THAT IS DISADVANTAGING MANY
COMMUNITIES SO THAT THEY WILL
CONTINUE TO BE ON THE LOSING
SIDE OF ELECTIONS AND MAKING
THEIR VOICES SILENCED.
>> Sreenivasan: WHAT ARE THE
ISSUES THAT YOU FIND MOST
THREATENING WHEN YOU LOOK ACROSS
THE LANDSCAPE, ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AND ALL OF THESE
DIFFERENT RULES THAT ARE WORKING
THEIR WAY THROUGH LEGISLATURES?
>> IN GEORGIA, WHERE ADVANCEMENT
PROJECT HAS LITIGATION, THERE'S
A PROVISION IN THAT LAW THAT
ALLOWS FOR THE STATE TO REMOVE
LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS IF THEY
THINK THEY'RE NOT DOING THEIR
JOB.
AND SO, YOU COULD IMAGINE THAT
IF THE CALL COMES FROM A
PRESIDENT WHO SAYS THAT HE'S
LOOKING FOR 11,000 VOTES, THAT
IN FACT WHAT COULD HAPPEN IS
THAT THE STATE COULD REMOVE THE
PERSON WHO SAID "I'M NOT GOING
TO LOOK FOR 11,000 VOTES BECAUSE
THERE IS INTEGRITY IN OUR
ELECTION AND I RAN THE ELECTION
WELL," THAT THEY COULD REMOVE
THAT PERSON.
AND SO, I AM VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT THAT, ALONG WITH ALL OF
THE BARRIERS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT
IN OUR WAY.
THESE BARRIERS TO THE BALLOT BOX
ARE DISCONCERTING.
>> Sreenivasan: JUDITH BROWNE
DIANIS OF THE ADVANCEMENT
PROJECT.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU.