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>> Sreenivasan: THE SENATE

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FAILED TO EVEN OPEN DEBATE ON

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NEW FEDERAL VOTING PROTECTIONS

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THIS PAST WEEK.

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THIS COMES AS GET OUT THE VOTE

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EVENTS ARE RAMPING UP BEFORE

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ELECTIONS ON NOVEMBER 2 THAT

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INCLUDE GOVERNORS RACES IN NEW

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JERSEY AND VIRGINIA.

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I SPOKE WITH JUDITH BROWNE

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DIANIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF

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ADVANCEMENT PROJECT, A CIVIL

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RIGHTS ORGANIZATION THAT FOCUSES

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ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND VOTING

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RIGHTS ISSUES.

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SO, JUDITH, RIGHT NOW, WE ARE AT

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A TIME WHERE VOTING RIGHTS ARE

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CHANGING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY

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IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AND WE SEEM

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TO HAVE A SENATE THAT DOESN'T

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WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS,

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DOESN'T WANT TO DEBATE THIS.

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SO, HOW DO YOU MOVE FORWARD ON A

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STATE-BY-STATE BASIS?

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>> WELL, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS,

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WE'RE SUING EVERYWHERE.

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REMEMBER, THE SUPREME COURT

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DEALT A BLOW TO THE VOTING

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RIGHTS ACT IN THE SHELBY COUNTY

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CASE BACK IN 2013.

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THEY ALSO DEALT ANOTHER BLOW TO

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THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT JUST THIS

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PAST SESSION.

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AND SO, IT'S MADE IT HARDER FOR

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US TO PROVE DISCRIMINATION IN

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COURT, BUT WE'RE STILL IN THIS.

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WE'RE STILL FIGHTING USING

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WHAT'S LEFT OF THE VOTING RIGHTS

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ACT AND USING THE CONSTITUTION.

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BUT IT WOULD MAKE IT MUCH EASIER

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IF THE SENATE WOULD MOVE TO

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RESTORE THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT

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WITH THE JOHN LEWIS VOTING

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RIGHTS ADVANCEMENT ACT AND BY

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PASSING THE FREEDOM TO VOTE ACT,

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WHICH WOULD GIVE US STANDARDS

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FOR HOW WE RUN ELECTIONS ACROSS

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THE COUNTRY.

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>> Sreenivasan: WHAT TO YOU IS

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AT STAKE AT THE CORE OF ALL

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THIS?

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>> I DON'T THINK I'M BEING

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ALARMIST TO SAY THAT OUR

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DEMOCRACY IS IN PERIL RIGHT NOW.

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NOT ONLY HAVE WE SEEN THE

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WEAKENING OF VOTING RIGHTS LAWS,

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WE SAW AN INSURRECTION ON

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JANUARY 6.

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WE HAVE SEEN AN UPBEAT IN ISSUES

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AND LIES ABOUT THE ELECTIONS AND

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THE OUTCOME OF OUR ELECTIONS,

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WHICH HAS CALLED INTO QUESTION

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THE INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTIONS

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WITH AUDITS AND LAWSUITS, ETC.

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AND WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT JUST

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ABOUT THE ELECTIONS, BUT

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REDISTRICTING IS UPON US AND

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STATES ARE STARTING TO MOVE.

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AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING, EVEN IF

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YOU LOOK AT THE STATE OF TEXAS,

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WHICH ALWAYS HAS A PROBLEM WITH

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REDISTRICTING, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN

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IS THAT THE LATINO POPULATION

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HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY BY ABOUT

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TWO MILLION PEOPLE, BUT THEY ARE

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NOT GOING TO SEE AN INCREASE IN

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THEIR POWER, THEIR POLITICAL

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POWER.

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AND SO, THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE

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GOING TO BE A MAJORITY PEOPLE OF

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COLOR IN THIS COUNTRY AT SOME

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POINT, BUT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE

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TO EXERCISE OUR POWER IN WAYS

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THAT MIRRORS OUR NUMBERS.

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>> Sreenivasan: BEYOND THE

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SPECIFIC GROUPS THAT MIGHT BE IN

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THE CROSSHAIRS OF THOSE WHO ARE

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TRYING TO DECREASE ACCESS TO THE

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POLLS, WHY DOES THIS SERIES OF

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CHALLENGES ON STATE LEVEL MATTER

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TO ALL VOTERS?

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>> WELL, IT SHOULD MATTER

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BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR COUNTRY

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IS ONLY GOING TO BE AT ITS BEST

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IF WE ALL HAVE A SAY IN CHOOSING

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THE PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT US SO

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THAT OUR INTERESTS CAN BE MET

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WHETHER WE LIVE IN LOW-INCOME

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NEIGHBORHOODS OR WE LIVE IN RICH

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NEIGHBORHOODS, WHETHER OR NOT WE

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HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT POLICING OR

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CHILD CARE.

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RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE ARE SEEING

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ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS A POWER

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GRAB THAT IS DISADVANTAGING MANY

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COMMUNITIES SO THAT THEY WILL

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CONTINUE TO BE ON THE LOSING

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SIDE OF ELECTIONS AND MAKING

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THEIR VOICES SILENCED.

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>> Sreenivasan: WHAT ARE THE

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ISSUES THAT YOU FIND MOST

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THREATENING WHEN YOU LOOK ACROSS

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THE LANDSCAPE, ACROSS THE

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COUNTRY AND ALL OF THESE

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DIFFERENT RULES THAT ARE WORKING

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THEIR WAY THROUGH LEGISLATURES?

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>> IN GEORGIA, WHERE ADVANCEMENT

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PROJECT HAS LITIGATION, THERE'S

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A PROVISION IN THAT LAW THAT

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ALLOWS FOR THE STATE TO REMOVE

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LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS IF THEY

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THINK THEY'RE NOT DOING THEIR

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JOB.

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AND SO, YOU COULD IMAGINE THAT

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IF THE CALL COMES FROM A

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PRESIDENT WHO SAYS THAT HE'S

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LOOKING FOR 11,000 VOTES, THAT

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IN FACT WHAT COULD HAPPEN IS

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THAT THE STATE COULD REMOVE THE

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PERSON WHO SAID "I'M NOT GOING

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TO LOOK FOR 11,000 VOTES BECAUSE

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THERE IS INTEGRITY IN OUR

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ELECTION AND I RAN THE ELECTION

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WELL," THAT THEY COULD REMOVE

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THAT PERSON.

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AND SO, I AM VERY CONCERNED

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ABOUT THAT, ALONG WITH ALL OF

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THE BARRIERS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT

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IN OUR WAY.

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THESE BARRIERS TO THE BALLOT BOX

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ARE DISCONCERTING.

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>> Sreenivasan: JUDITH BROWNE

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DIANIS OF THE ADVANCEMENT

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PROJECT.

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THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

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>> THANK YOU.