SR: The fall election will be a turnout battle. The RNC is already filing legal briefs in voting rights suits to oppose anything that will make voting easier. What this means for voters is they have to take proactive steps early. That starts by checking their voter registration information. In most states it can be done online. You want to make sure that the correct address is there, but also take a look at how your name is recorded in the file. IE, did you use a middle initial? You want correct information and spelling, so there's no possibility of a mail-in ballot rejected for typos.
Then you want to make sure you apply for an absentee ballot early. Do it directly on the county government websites, which eliminates layers of bureaucracy--whether other state agencies or even non-profits registering voters. Don't assume anyone else will do it for you. Going to the county election website is best because these are the most local officials managing the rolls and sending ballots. It's all about getting ahead of the process. That's what people can do.
JB: That's helpful, Steven. Thank you. Anything you'd like to add before we wrap this up?
SR: I would simply say that the only way Trump and McConnell Republicans can be defeated this fall is through voter turnout that's so high that the margins of victory cannot be whittled away by RNC legal challenges. The Republicans will look for any excuse to delay or impede counting votes in swing states, if it comes down to one or two states, to try to interfere with the Electoral College's timetable. They have a friendly majority on the Supreme Court. They have a majority of state delegations in the House, where, if the 12th Amendment were invoked (each state delegation gets one vote), Trump could be re-appointed, not re-elected. The only way to completely avoid this constitutional coup is for super high turnout. Sigh!
Thanks very much for inviting me to have this conversation.
What undemocratic voting can look like in SOME places: long lines, not enough precincts, machines, etc.
(Image by GovernmentZA) Details DMCA
JB: Thanks so much for chatting with me again. Looking forward to more insights and updates as we move deeper into Election Season.
***
Some of my prior interviews with Rosenfeld:
Parsing Dems' Big Election Reform Bill with Steven Rosenfeld 1.16.2019
Jill Stein's PA Lawsuit - What Happened and What Does It Mean?12.8.2018
Midterm Recap with Voting Booth's Steven Rosenfeld 11.28.2018
Ferguson Lays Bare Police Brutality and Racism in America 12.4.2014
Recent NSA Ruling Actually REALLY Bad News? 12.24.2013
Progressive Journalist Steven Rosenfeld on Infiltrating GOP Voter Vigilante Project 8.31.2012
Sneak Preview of "Count My Vote - A Citizen's Guide to Voting" by Steven Rosenfeld 7.11.2008
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
2
1
1
