August 17, 2020 • 10 mins
If you want to change, preserve, or build a better America, there’s one easy way to make your voice heard: Vote. This year, iHeartRadio is teaming up with over 20 incredible celebrities (plus a handful of our most popular podcasters) to get the country excited to go vote, broadcasting the personal, emotional and heartfelt stories behind why showing up to the ballot box means so much-- not just as individuals, but for our entire nation.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Why I'm Voting, a production of I Heart Radio. Listen.
You already know this, but it's an election year. You
might already be tired of fearing about it. But here's
the thing. Democracy doesn't work without you. I'm Holly Frying,
and I'm sitting down with many of my fellow podcasters,
from Will Ferrell to Stephanie Rule as well as other
(00:26):
luminaries to find out about their relationships with the ballot
box and ultimately just to find out why they vote.
I hope you're exercise in your right to vote, and
if you're not, I hope that their stories inspired you.
So today on Why I Am Voting, I am joined
(00:47):
by Britt Morrin, who is all about curiosity and creativity,
two things very near and dear to my heart. She
is the founder and CEO of Britt and Co. Which
is a media company that is geared towards inspiring and
educating as well as delighting and entertaining women with a
sense of creative spirit. She also has a podcast called
Teach Me Something New, in which she gets all kinds
(01:09):
of experts to share their knowledge and teach her something
new in the course of every episode. Rit thank you
so much for joining us. Thank you for having me.
I'm so excited to be here. My first question for
everybody is to ask if you recall the first time
you realized, probably as a kid, that democracy was something
you had an active stake in and that you were
(01:29):
expected to participate in. Yeah, it's funny. I grew up
in Texas, and I think I thought of democracy like
I thought of sports teams. So you just cheered for
the team that your family liked, and that was that
was what you did. And so I would say my
evolution was in moving to California as a twenty year
(01:51):
old and recognizing that I actually had my own say
and who I voted for, and I could change my
views and that would be okay. Now, have you been
a voter since you were able to vote at eighteen
or did you wait to register? Yes, I've been voting
since I was eighteen. Do you remember the first election
you participated in? Oh? Boy, um, I'm thirty four now,
so what would that event math? So this is an
(02:14):
election year twelve years ago. You know what was funny?
My birthday is in December, and so the year I
turned eighteen was a I think I missed the cutoff.
So actually my first voting year was twenty two. Was
that Obama? I think it was that Obama? Oh eight? Yeah.
(02:37):
And you know what's funny is I worked at Google
and that was the first Internet election when Obama, McCain
and and nobody at Google was really doing anything about it.
And I raised my hand. It's like this young twenties something.
I was like, should we be like helping people find
their polling place on Google Maps, or like using YouTube
(02:57):
to help the candidates like post videos, And everyone was
like yeah, project. And so you know, I learned a
lot about government just from this random side hustle I
had at my job at go Oh, bless you for
having that initiative, because that stuff is important. Now. We
are also in a point where, of course, for the
(03:18):
big elections like presidential campaigns and even senatorial campaigns, we
get so much information about the candidates just kind of
casually without even looking for it. But I wonder when
it comes to things like local elections, one are those
things that you continue to actively participate in and to
how do you do your research for those? Yeah, I'm
I live in Mill Valley, California, So the most local
(03:41):
of local is the mayoral um election. We actually just
had it, and UM in Mill Valley there's actually three mayors.
They have like a trienne um and each one rotates
for a year. But I'm so passionate. I think about
mel Valley even more than in California or the United States.
Like this community is where my kids go to school now,
(04:02):
and you know my office is here now, and like
these are the neighbors and friends that I see every day.
And if we aren't fixing things here, how are you
going to fix it on the greater national scale? And
so yeah, I met with the mayors UM, I hosted
meetups at our sort of town hall in the middle
Valley downtown, and I was very active this year first time,
(04:24):
like more than ever, and really felt like I had
a clear understanding of the candidates and their views. I
think you point out a great opportunity for people. I
bet most candidates in local elections would be like, yes,
if someone wants to spearheaded, I will absolutely do a
local meet up. So it's yet another way that people
can engage and make sure they're part of the process.
(04:44):
I wonder how you feel about times when people think
an election is kind of a foregone conclusion in terms
of its outcome, Like, what do you think about the
importance of still going out and doing your civic duty
and casting your ballot even if everybody thinks the election
a lot, you know, I think, especially being from Texas
and then California, UM, I grew up in barely polarizing states,
(05:06):
and you know, even just looking ahead at this year's election,
the idea that Texas could be a blue state has
never been something that I've ever come to know. Yet
in the most recent polls, it's like I've seen fifty fifty,
you know, I've seen like there's a race that's very close,
and it's incredible what you know, every single person, young
(05:27):
or old means for this election and for all elections.
I think, you know, especially gen Z these days, have
sort of in the past consider that their vote, their
voice doesn't matter, but now more than ever, like we've
got climate change on the agenda, you've got universal healthcare, childcare,
like all of these really important votes that they're casting.
(05:50):
So it's not just about the person, it's everything that
comes with them and that's going to affect their future
because these things, I think, what you don't realize when
you're eighteen. Is that even if this candidate is in
office for four years, hardly anything is really going to
get downe It takes a long time, you know, to
really even you can pass a law, but for that
(06:10):
lot to go into effect and reach the state level
and the local level, it's going to take a long time.
So what we're voting for right now might not impact
us for another five to ten years. And think about
where you're going to be in your life in five
to ten years. Are you going to have children, how
old are they going to be, Are they going to
be trying to go to college? Are you going to
have student debt paid off at that point or not?
(06:30):
You know, and where are you going to live? You
might be in a totally different states. So whether it's
rud or blue. Now, you know, you're voting for the
ideals of the world you want to live in, and
I do think that matters. And of course, you know,
when you're voting, it's not just the one election, one race.
You know, there's typically other topics that you're voting for
at the same time that are more local and pressing
(06:51):
for you in your community. Yeah, I'm so glad you
touched on that because I feel like it's easy to
lose sight of the fact that there are a lot
of a lot of elections in one given election, like
there are a lot of measure as well as people
on that ballot. Do you have any rituals around voting,
like things that you do on voting day every time,
no matter what my three voting period, well, I guess
I voted in a lot of local elections. To um, Well,
(07:12):
obviously I love stickers. I have two children now, so
I think something really important to me is expressing how
important voting is for my children. I didn't really see
that from my parents growing up. I actually don't even
know if they voted often. Growing up, I knew who
they supported because, like I said, it was the sports team.
(07:33):
But I want my kids to know that voting is
important to me and that it's a civic duty as
an American to do this, And so I usually bring them.
Their polling place is this little community center on our street, actually,
and so we walk up the street together and I'll
go inside and they'll like wait outside or play or something.
(07:54):
And I always ask for extra stickers, of course, and
the when I come out with my voted stickers, I
explained to them what I just did. And you know,
they're they're like almost six now and and four, and
so they've they've only seen this a couple of times,
and they've been really young, but you know, they understand it.
They understand that I am am helping to decide what
(08:15):
the future is going to look like, and that it's
a really special privilege we have because of where we live,
and that they're going to get to do that one
day too, and it's gonna be so cool. And so
I'm just trying to hype it up for them, and
I think, you know, I also do that. You know,
I always posted on social media. I'm always just trying
to encourage everyone to have a voice, because all of
our voices are are more different now than ever, and
(08:36):
yet can be united if we all expressed that voice. Yeah,
our local polling place recently, like in recent elections, added
a step and repeat and they'll take a picture for
you to put on social like on their little step
and repeat. It's adorable, kids with amazing The last question
is kind of the most important, which is that if
you were in a position where you had to really
(08:56):
convince someone to use their right to vote, if they
aren't doing it and you could only tell them one thing,
what would that be? I would say, imagine what would
happen if everyone else thought exactly what you're thinking. Imagine
what would happen if no one showed up and you
(09:16):
would get whatever you know, those few who voted have
voted for. And I don't think you might be happy
with that, because at the end of the day, we
are fighting for the rights that we want as individuals,
as Americans, as citizens of whatever state or county or
city that you're in, and we have the power to
(09:38):
shape our future. No matter if you're eighteen or eighty,
you are authorized to change the world, to change your world,
and this is your opportunity to do it perfect I
love it. I love the idea of being authorized to
change the world. I feel like we need badges exactly.
Thank you so much for sharing your your passion and
(10:00):
your insight and your thoughts about why voting is so important.
Of course, thank you so much for having me. Hey,
are you not registered to vote yet but you think
it's something you want to do. You may still have time.
Voter registration deadlines vary by state, so to find out
the Scoop for where you are, check out a nonpartisan
(10:21):
registration voting site like headcount dot org or fair vote
dot org. Why I'm Voting is an I heart Radio production.
For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i
heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever it is you
listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to Why I'm Voting, a production of I Heart Radio. Listen.
You already know this, but it's an election year. You
might already be tired of fearing about it. But here's
the thing. Democracy doesn't work without you. I'm Holly Frying,
and I'm sitting down with many of my fellow podcasters,
from Will Ferrell to Stephanie Rule as well as other
(00:26):
luminaries to find out about their relationships with the ballot
box and ultimately just to find out why they vote.
I hope you're exercise in your right to vote, and
if you're not, I hope that their stories inspired you.
So today on Why I Am Voting, I am joined
(00:47):
by Britt Morrin, who is all about curiosity and creativity,
two things very near and dear to my heart. She
is the founder and CEO of Britt and Co. Which
is a media company that is geared towards inspiring and
educating as well as delighting and entertaining women with a
sense of creative spirit. She also has a podcast called
Teach Me Something New, in which she gets all kinds
(01:09):
of experts to share their knowledge and teach her something
new in the course of every episode. Rit thank you
so much for joining us. Thank you for having me.
I'm so excited to be here. My first question for
everybody is to ask if you recall the first time
you realized, probably as a kid, that democracy was something
you had an active stake in and that you were
(01:29):
expected to participate in. Yeah, it's funny. I grew up
in Texas, and I think I thought of democracy like
I thought of sports teams. So you just cheered for
the team that your family liked, and that was that
was what you did. And so I would say my
evolution was in moving to California as a twenty year
(01:51):
old and recognizing that I actually had my own say
and who I voted for, and I could change my
views and that would be okay. Now, have you been
a voter since you were able to vote at eighteen
or did you wait to register? Yes, I've been voting
since I was eighteen. Do you remember the first election
you participated in? Oh? Boy, um, I'm thirty four now,
so what would that event math? So this is an
(02:14):
election year twelve years ago. You know what was funny?
My birthday is in December, and so the year I
turned eighteen was a I think I missed the cutoff.
So actually my first voting year was twenty two. Was
that Obama? I think it was that Obama? Oh eight? Yeah.
(02:37):
And you know what's funny is I worked at Google
and that was the first Internet election when Obama, McCain
and and nobody at Google was really doing anything about it.
And I raised my hand. It's like this young twenties something.
I was like, should we be like helping people find
their polling place on Google Maps, or like using YouTube
(02:57):
to help the candidates like post videos, And everyone was
like yeah, project. And so you know, I learned a
lot about government just from this random side hustle I
had at my job at go Oh, bless you for
having that initiative, because that stuff is important. Now. We
are also in a point where, of course, for the
(03:18):
big elections like presidential campaigns and even senatorial campaigns, we
get so much information about the candidates just kind of
casually without even looking for it. But I wonder when
it comes to things like local elections, one are those
things that you continue to actively participate in and to
how do you do your research for those? Yeah, I'm
I live in Mill Valley, California, So the most local
(03:41):
of local is the mayoral um election. We actually just
had it, and UM in Mill Valley there's actually three mayors.
They have like a trienne um and each one rotates
for a year. But I'm so passionate. I think about
mel Valley even more than in California or the United States.
Like this community is where my kids go to school now,
(04:02):
and you know my office is here now, and like
these are the neighbors and friends that I see every day.
And if we aren't fixing things here, how are you
going to fix it on the greater national scale? And
so yeah, I met with the mayors UM, I hosted
meetups at our sort of town hall in the middle
Valley downtown, and I was very active this year first time,
(04:24):
like more than ever, and really felt like I had
a clear understanding of the candidates and their views. I
think you point out a great opportunity for people. I
bet most candidates in local elections would be like, yes,
if someone wants to spearheaded, I will absolutely do a
local meet up. So it's yet another way that people
can engage and make sure they're part of the process.
(04:44):
I wonder how you feel about times when people think
an election is kind of a foregone conclusion in terms
of its outcome, Like, what do you think about the
importance of still going out and doing your civic duty
and casting your ballot even if everybody thinks the election
a lot, you know, I think, especially being from Texas
and then California, UM, I grew up in barely polarizing states,
(05:06):
and you know, even just looking ahead at this year's election,
the idea that Texas could be a blue state has
never been something that I've ever come to know. Yet
in the most recent polls, it's like I've seen fifty fifty,
you know, I've seen like there's a race that's very close,
and it's incredible what you know, every single person, young
(05:27):
or old means for this election and for all elections.
I think, you know, especially gen Z these days, have
sort of in the past consider that their vote, their
voice doesn't matter, but now more than ever, like we've
got climate change on the agenda, you've got universal healthcare, childcare,
like all of these really important votes that they're casting.
(05:50):
So it's not just about the person, it's everything that
comes with them and that's going to affect their future
because these things, I think, what you don't realize when
you're eighteen. Is that even if this candidate is in
office for four years, hardly anything is really going to
get downe It takes a long time, you know, to
really even you can pass a law, but for that
(06:10):
lot to go into effect and reach the state level
and the local level, it's going to take a long time.
So what we're voting for right now might not impact
us for another five to ten years. And think about
where you're going to be in your life in five
to ten years. Are you going to have children, how
old are they going to be, Are they going to
be trying to go to college? Are you going to
have student debt paid off at that point or not?
(06:30):
You know, and where are you going to live? You
might be in a totally different states. So whether it's
rud or blue. Now, you know, you're voting for the
ideals of the world you want to live in, and
I do think that matters. And of course, you know,
when you're voting, it's not just the one election, one race.
You know, there's typically other topics that you're voting for
at the same time that are more local and pressing
(06:51):
for you in your community. Yeah, I'm so glad you
touched on that because I feel like it's easy to
lose sight of the fact that there are a lot
of a lot of elections in one given election, like
there are a lot of measure as well as people
on that ballot. Do you have any rituals around voting,
like things that you do on voting day every time,
no matter what my three voting period, well, I guess
I voted in a lot of local elections. To um, Well,
(07:12):
obviously I love stickers. I have two children now, so
I think something really important to me is expressing how
important voting is for my children. I didn't really see
that from my parents growing up. I actually don't even
know if they voted often. Growing up, I knew who
they supported because, like I said, it was the sports team.
(07:33):
But I want my kids to know that voting is
important to me and that it's a civic duty as
an American to do this, And so I usually bring them.
Their polling place is this little community center on our street, actually,
and so we walk up the street together and I'll
go inside and they'll like wait outside or play or something.
(07:54):
And I always ask for extra stickers, of course, and
the when I come out with my voted stickers, I
explained to them what I just did. And you know,
they're they're like almost six now and and four, and
so they've they've only seen this a couple of times,
and they've been really young, but you know, they understand it.
They understand that I am am helping to decide what
(08:15):
the future is going to look like, and that it's
a really special privilege we have because of where we live,
and that they're going to get to do that one
day too, and it's gonna be so cool. And so
I'm just trying to hype it up for them, and
I think, you know, I also do that. You know,
I always posted on social media. I'm always just trying
to encourage everyone to have a voice, because all of
our voices are are more different now than ever, and
(08:36):
yet can be united if we all expressed that voice. Yeah,
our local polling place recently, like in recent elections, added
a step and repeat and they'll take a picture for
you to put on social like on their little step
and repeat. It's adorable, kids with amazing The last question
is kind of the most important, which is that if
you were in a position where you had to really
(08:56):
convince someone to use their right to vote, if they
aren't doing it and you could only tell them one thing,
what would that be? I would say, imagine what would
happen if everyone else thought exactly what you're thinking. Imagine
what would happen if no one showed up and you
(09:16):
would get whatever you know, those few who voted have
voted for. And I don't think you might be happy
with that, because at the end of the day, we
are fighting for the rights that we want as individuals,
as Americans, as citizens of whatever state or county or
city that you're in, and we have the power to
(09:38):
shape our future. No matter if you're eighteen or eighty,
you are authorized to change the world, to change your world,
and this is your opportunity to do it perfect I
love it. I love the idea of being authorized to
change the world. I feel like we need badges exactly.
Thank you so much for sharing your your passion and
(10:00):
your insight and your thoughts about why voting is so important.
Of course, thank you so much for having me. Hey,
are you not registered to vote yet but you think
it's something you want to do. You may still have time.
Voter registration deadlines vary by state, so to find out
the Scoop for where you are, check out a nonpartisan
(10:21):
registration voting site like headcount dot org or fair vote
dot org. Why I'm Voting is an I heart Radio production.
For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i
heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever it is you
listen to your favorite shows.
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