Making Our Votes Count (with Sherrilyn Ifill)

Baratunde speaks with Sherrilyn Ifill, the President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund about the very long history of voter suppression, why it still exists (hint: white supremacy and racism), and the current tactics being deployed for the 2020 election.

Show Notes + Links

We are grateful to Sherrilyn Ifill for joining us. 

Follow her at @Sifill_LDF and @NAACP_LDF on Twitter. You can learn more about the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund at https://www.naacpldf.org/.

We will post this episode, a transcript, show notes and more at howtocitizen.com.

Please show your support for the show in the form of a review and rating. It makes a huge difference with the algorithmic overlords!

HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW. ACTIONS FOR THIS EPISODE. 

INTERNAL ACTIONS

Become educated on the systems of oppression so you know the roots and how to fight back.

Two good books to start with for a comprehensive take. 

• Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X Kendi
• Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B Wells

You can buy these books and support local bookstores using our show’s bookshop.org link https://bookshop.org/shop/howtocitizen 

Understand the Voting Rights Act and how the Shelby decision changed everything. 

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/07/how-shelby-county-broke-america/564707/

Make your voting plan.

Visit www.morethanavote.org to make your voting plan. This is the organization that LeBron James helped start, and they’ve partnered with a number of groups including Sherrilyn and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. 

Also visit https://votesaveamerica.com/plan/ the newly released tool from Vote Save America to get ready with a sample ballot for your area to plan your voting so you can be EFFICIENT at the voting booth. 

EXTERNAL ACTIONS

Find out the EXACT requirements of mail-in or absentee ballots in your state and share them so every vote is counted.

The requirements and directions for voting by mail differ by state. Some require signatures by a witness on the outside of the envelope along with the witness’s address and your signature. Some require using two envelopes when mailing them back. Get the details from a trusted source or from the ballot itself and remind people to triple check these details!

Be a democracy team captain.

Take the lead in making sure at least three people you know vote. Follow up with them often until they have voted. Ask each one to do the same!

Compile key information about voting and vote by mail for your state. Then simplify the directions for those you are taking responsibility for, and share resources with them. Here are two comprehensive and easy to understand sites summarizing the steps for each state: 

• https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/how-to-vote-2020/  
• https://votesaveamerica.com/states/ 

Finally, offer to provide a witness signat