WEBVTT 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:16.000 Our Homes, Our Votes Webinar Series – Voter Education: Combating 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:19.000 Misinformation and Disinformation – September 30, 2024 COURTNEY COOPERMAN: 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:20.000 Welcome, everybody. 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:25.000 Feel free to introduce yourself and where you're calling from 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:44.000 in the chat. We will get started in a minute or so. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:47.000 I am seeing Kristi from Idaho, Sharon from Texas, 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:53.000 Taylor from West Virginia, 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:59.000 April from West Virginia, Jen from Pennsylvania. Welcome, everyone. 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:14.000 Feel free to keep going on and introducing yourselves. 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:41.000 A lot of people coming in from all over the country. 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:44.000 Let's get started in about 30 seconds. 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:57.000 I still see people trickling in from the waiting room. 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:04.000 We will get started. Welcome, everybody, thank you so much 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:07.000 for joining. My name is Courtney Cooperman, I use 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:12.000 she/her pronouns and I am the project manager at the National Low Income 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:16.000 Housing Coalition's Our Homes, Our Votes campaign. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:21.000 It is our nonpartisan initiative to increase voter turnout 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:26.000 among low-income renters and elevate housing as an issue. This is the 12th 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:28.000 webinar in the series, Voter Education: Combating Misinformation and 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:35.000 the first time, 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:40.000 today, this is the 12th webinar in the series, so I highly recommend checking 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:46.000 at the archives, seeing what we have been up to for the past few months. 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:49.000 There's a lot of incredible content from our panelists. 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:54.000 As many of us know, all too well, the rise of election 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:58.000 misinformation and disinformation poses a major threat to the democratic 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:01.000 process, 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:05.000 and has a disproportionate effect on low income voters. The webinar will 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:08.000 cover the basis of misinformation and disinformation and 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:12.000 share strategies that housing organizations can employ to counter the 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:14.000 threat of voter misinformation and disinformation., 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:17.000 that are targeted towards their communities. Next slide, please. 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:24.000 On today's webinar, we will hear from 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:28.000 Chelsey Cartwright, the Truth In Democracy Program Manager at the League 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:31.000 of Women Voters, and Justin Kwasa, democracy program director 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:33.000 at League of Conservation Voter Education Fund 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:35.000 . 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:38.000 Who will provide a training on responding to this 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:42.000 -- 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:46.000 misinformation and disinformation. I personally have a lot to learn on 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:51.000 this topic and it's a real privilege to have the chance to learn from them. 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:54.000 Before we get started and dive into things, 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:58.000 a few housekeeping items. First, the webinar is being recorded. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:03.000 The recording and resources will be shared on 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:07.000 this week's edition of the Friday email newsletter, the Connection, and 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:11.000 the recording will be posted on the NLIHC YouTube. 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:15.000 We have closed captioning enabled. Thank you so much to our captioner for 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:19.000 being here today. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:23.000 Please ask questions using the Q&A feature throughout the webinar. With so 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:29.000 many people attended, it can be hard to catch the questions in the chat and we 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:34.000 are more likely to notice in the Q&A. Speaking of the chat, we ask everybody 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:38.000 engage thoughtfully and respectfully. Live by the platinum rule: 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:43.000 treat others the way that they want to be treated, even if that is different 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:49.000 than the way you want to be treated. Last but not least, I will leave you a 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:54.000 reminder that Our Homes, Our Votes is 100% nonpartisan, meaning that we do 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:57.000 not endorse candidates or political parties. We are here 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:01.000 to increase voter turnout and increase the political will for housing justice 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:06.000 and hold all candidates accountable. In my having audio issues? I see that 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:08.000 in the chat. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:11.000 Sorry about that. 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:14.000 I will get that resolved. 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:16.000 We are going to launch into 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:19.000 Justin's 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:24.000 slides, if you can move a few slides I had to go to Justin 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:29.000 's presentation. Thank you so much. 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:33.000 I'm going to hand it over to Justin. JUSTIN KWASA: 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:35.000 Hi, folks, Justin Kwasa, 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:36.000 pronouns 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:38.000 as it says on the screen 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:43.000 . 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:47.000 Democracy program director of the League of Conservation Voter Education 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:48.000 Fund. 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:56.000 This is very much in the democracy space and encouraging folks to vote. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:01.000 We have a phrase where we say that we cannot have a healthy environment 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:04.000 without a healthy democracy. Mostly that means that we know 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:06.000 everybody wants clean air, clean 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:10.000 water healthy and safe communities and democracy does not provide that. It's 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:16.000 incredibly important that if we do what the democracy – sorry, we do want that 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:21.000 to the environmental partners we know, we have to be a strong part of our 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:22.000 democracy, and elect 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:27.000 a democracy or representative that are truly reflective of our community so 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:31.000 they can deal with all of our issues. That goes beyond environment, to also 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:37.000 housing and all the other issues that we care about. That is why we are so 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:41.000 involved in this. Next slide, please. What I want to do – 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:46.000 sorry, Next slide, please. really talk to you about what are some 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:50.000 of the areas we can expect to see misinformation this election cycle? A 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:56.000 little bit we will tell you, some details about it, but want to talk to 00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:02.000 you know about what other places where we can expect to see it and how can you 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:06.000 push back against it? One of the things we know about this 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:10.000 is with voter registration. We know there's going to be a lot of 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:15.000 misinformation out there that is not true but when people can vote and get 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:18.000 registered to vote, particularly that involves around when voter registration 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:21.000 deadlines are. The best ways to go to your elected 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:25.000 officials, Secretary of State, County Clerk, and figure out what the exact 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:29.000 deadlines are. You don't have to guess when they are. 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:32.000 Really encouraging people to understand what the voter registration deadlines 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:36.000 are in most of Wortley, be able to register ahead of the voter 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:40.000 registration deadlines as possible. There is also confusion around who can 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:42.000 vote. The issue of incarceration 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:45.000 obviously is tougher on that, because people, particularly those that are 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:50.000 returning citizens, are not quite sure if their state allows them to vote or 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:53.000 not. Once again, going to your official 00:07:53.000 --> 00:07:55.000 websites, in order to figure out that way, 00:07:55.000 --> 00:07:59.000 figure out that, is incredibly important because each and every state 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:04.000 has a different way of dealing with it. You do need to check in. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:08.000 In addition, it's important to note that in certain states, you can still 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:13.000 vote while you are in jail, 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:17.000 not in prison, because you haven't been officially convicted yet. That is 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:22.000 the option for people, too, where if they are in jail, they might also have 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:27.000 the option to vote as well. Ultimately there are purges, which is a 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:31.000 commonsense way to keep election rols current. People move out of state and 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:36.000 change addresses, and this happens with the regular polls who is registered, 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:41.000 but a lot of times states to use vote purges in order to eliminate people 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:46.000 very close before the election and make them not registered. Being able to 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:51.000 check your registration right now is a great way in order to push back against 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:55.000 any disinformation that you are voting. In addition, election Day polling sites 00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:57.000 and where they are 00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:01.000 are also source of disinformation and it's important for you all to push back 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:04.000 against. We know that depending on how many 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:07.000 people can work. Election day, or different demographic 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:11.000 changes, that there are 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:15.000 relocation of polling sites. Being able to tell people to push them 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:21.000 to the website to say, look up exactly where the polling site is did -- 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:25.000 the day before the election is important. 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:29.000 Opening and closing times is another way to confuse people about when to 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:35.000 vote. I have seen in previous jobs where 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:40.000 there have been messages out where a polling site opens at 7 AM, when it 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:45.000 actually opens at 8 AM. Then you have people there at 7 AM 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:50.000 trying to vote and ultimately because we all have busy lives, they are not 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:57.000 able to vote for the rest of the day because the 70 -- 78 -- 7 AM time is 00:09:57.000 --> 00:10:00.000 the time they had. Looking this up is important. Finally 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:05.000 and particularly states like Georgia and other states that have a history of 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:11.000 long lines it comes to voting is when you go to the polling place, when you 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:17.000 go at the end of the day, if you are in line before the official end of the 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:22.000 polling place, stay in line, so that you can have your vote counted. Polling 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:28.000 places close off their lines based off of where they are at 8 PM, 9 PM or 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:34.000 wherever at the very end of the polling site. If you are in line by that time, 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:40.000 you can still vote and stay in mind and be able to vote. If you don't 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:45.000 officially cast your vote by time, that you can't vote, that is not true. Stay 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:50.000 in line, make sure you have your voice heard. Next slide, please. Other areas 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:55.000 of misinformation are male in voting. -- mail in voting. We encourage people 00:10:55.000 --> 00:11:00.000 to vote like this, it's convenient and a trusted way to vote. Keeping up that 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:04.000 narrative. One thing to know, is if you mail your 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:10.000 vote by election day, if you drop it off at a polling place or if you drop 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:15.000 it off in the mail by election night, it should be counted. All states have 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:22.000 that law. It 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:27.000 can be counted, as long as it is postmarked by election day. A lot of 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:33.000 folks think that if it does not get to the election center or someplace by 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:38.000 election day it will not be counted, you just need to send it off by that 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:41.000 day. Also understand there is misinformation 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:46.000 around if you mail it that it will not get counted. Most states have the 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:50.000 ability to track your ballot. After you send it off you should be 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:56.000 able to track your ballot and figure out when it does get to the election 00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:00.000 place and can be counted. Final thing, which is going to be a 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:05.000 huge part of the election this year, but we don't know what motor methods -- 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:09.000 mode or method is gonna come in is the concept of what happens after the 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:13.000 election, how the vote count happens. We want folks to know that even though 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:16.000 TV stations, radio stations, media, tries to predict when the election – 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:20.000 sorry, the results of the election, this person one in that person one. The 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:24.000 final vote -- count doesn't happen until election night, and there's a 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:28.000 final process to make sure that every vote is counted and counted correctly. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:33.000 People who try to get out in front of the story and say that, the election is 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:37.000 this way or that way, should not count the votes anymore, that is not true. We 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:41.000 should push back against people trying to claim what the election day is an on 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:44.000 on election night. Potentially racist claims, such as 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:47.000 immigrant communities or other folks that are not eligible to vote our 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:51.000 voting and we want to push back against the flat-out racist claims 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:58.000 that aim to divide our communities. Next slide, please. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:02.000 Wanting to give each of the resources, where you can get help. 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:13.000 Just want to highlight this. Vote11 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:18.000 webpage which is done by the League of Women Voters who you will be hearing 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:22.000 from in a second. That's a place where no matter what 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:28.000 state you live in or where you are in the country, you can go there and get 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:32.000 connected to the local Election officials to find out the information 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:35.000 about voting. Definitely make sure that you save that 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:41.000 in order to look it up for yourself what the voting rules are. In addition, 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:46.000 if you don't want to go to the website there are hotlines. The main one is 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:51.000 866-OUR-VOTE hotlines, and various ones in Spanish and Inc. -- Asian language 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:54.000 in Arabic. This is hotlines were if you have a 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:58.000 question about voting you want answers, you can have a professional 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:03.000 answer your question no matter where you are. That's another great way to 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:08.000 get the information if you don't want to look it up online, or honestly, if 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:13.000 you are at the polling place and you have a question or want to report 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:18.000 something, that is the place to do it. As I talked about earlier, being able 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:23.000 to be connected to the websites or the verified social media of your local 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:26.000 election administrators is incredibly important. Get your information from 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:31.000 the source, and not from other places where you don't know what their 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:34.000 motivations are. Being able to connect to the Secretary 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:39.000 of State, County Board of elections, or township clerks or whoever runs the 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:43.000 elections is important to uplift what they are saying about the election 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:48.000 because you know it is the truth. Next slide, please. Second lasting -- 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:52.000 thing, there's a couple civic engagement holidays were we can push at 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:56.000 the resources and information to your memberships, to the people that you 00:14:56.000 --> 00:15:00.000 work with and that are coming up. First one, National Voter Education 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:04.000 Week next week. This is the week where every single day 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:09.000 there is a different action we want you to take, whether registering to vote, 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:14.000 looking up what is on your ballot, making a plan to vote before election 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:19.000 day, telling five of your friends about voting or signing up to be a poll 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:22.000 worker. Their actions every single day next 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:26.000 week, as a national democracy move, asking people there information and 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:30.000 register to vote. Vote Early Day is a week before the 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:33.000 election, October 29. We encourage you whether you are voting 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:38.000 in person early or by mail, make sure that nothing happens on election day, 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:44.000 that does prevent you from voting. Give yourself the time in order to be 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:48.000 able to vote freely and fairly. Election Hero Day, the day before the 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:53.000 election, day to celebrate all the people that make the elections work and 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:57.000 make sure our democracy is strong. Making sure to highlight the amazing 00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:02.000 people that do the work, every single election, and make sure our votes are 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:07.000 counted and voices are heard. Next slide, please. Last thing I want 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:12.000 to talk you about is about our roles, what we do as nonprofit workers, what 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:17.000 we do as workers in the community. It is incredibly important that we are 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:20.000 helpful in preventing disinformation and misinformation happening. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:23.000 Voter suppression a comes with misinformation affects our communities 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:25.000 first, the communities that have 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:29.000 been a traditional left out of democracy, have been dental for a 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:31.000 reading -- reason and this is the 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:41.000 -- have been dental for a reason. We need to get the communities 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:52.000 , 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:57.000 we can cut through the misinformation the people are given, and make sure that 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:02.000 people get their voices heard and can voice what they care about. That is why 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:05.000 I am here. I want League of Conservation voters, 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:15.000 and NLIHC on your side, we are unique and influential messengers about 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:21.000 all the important ways to vote, and this is why I'm here. To make sure that 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:26.000 the right information gets out. With that I will push back my time, and 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:29.000 send it back to Courtney. COURTNEY COOPERMAN: Thank you so much, 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:32.000 Justin. We have gotten some really great 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:35.000 questions for you. We have a question regarding 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:40.000 naturalization and eligibility 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:49.000 to vote, and I know this is 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:55.000 a specific areas of expertise so if you are not sure of the answer, then 00:17:55.000 --> 00:18:00.000 refer to where someone can look would be held. The question, what if someone 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:03.000 finished their interview for naturally -- naturalization but they are waiting 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:07.000 for the survey certificate? JUSTIN KWASA: You have to have this 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:12.000 certificate and show the certificate. I don't know when it is, but usually 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:15.000 at many ceremonies they have a voter registration 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:19.000 booth right out there so you can go, you can register immediately. Hopefully 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:28.000 you live in a state where you have a friendly voter registration deadline. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:34.000 Just to be on the safe side, make sure you have all your documentation in 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:38.000 order before you go register to vote. Wish it could be different, 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:42.000 but that would be my advice. COURTNEY COOPERMAN: Thank you. 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:48.000 We also have got a question about voter intimidation. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:53.000 If someone or several people at the polls intimidating people are giving 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:58.000 misinformation, should the voter call the police or follow directions given by 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:01.000 the poll workers? Should a voter refused to leave the 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:04.000 line? Do you have any advice for that 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:06.000 situation? JUSTIN KWASA: Absolutely. Number one, 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:12.000 safety is the most import and thing. If you do not feel safe, you know, you 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:17.000 should do whatever you can do to make sure that you feel safe. 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:22.000 Calling the police is an option. Once again, that goes to what you are 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:26.000 comfortable with the situation is. Another option as I mentioned before, 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.000 calling the election protection hotlines, 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:34.000 what they do in addition to answering information about voting is key 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:38.000 they do have connection with election administrators. That's another way to 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:42.000 report any intimidation that you are seeing. You have multiple options. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:50.000 Yes to whatever you 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:54.000 feel comfortable with, but there's multiple ways to report, and police is 00:19:54.000 --> 00:20:00.000 not necessarily what you want to do. You can do the hotline and they can 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:04.000 connect to election officials to this particular pulling place, can you send 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:07.000 assistance or help? Or additional help for the poll workers. 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:10.000 COURTNEY COOPERMAN: Thank you, that is super helpful. 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:13.000 We've got a question also about legislation 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:15.000 , 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:20.000 to increase voter access and I know this is something you have worked on a 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:22.000 lot. 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:28.000 Can you talk about any updates from legislation in Congress 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:31.000 that would strengthen voting rights for eligible citizens? JUSTIN KWASA: 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:35.000 Absolutely. There are four bills that were pushed in 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:38.000 , 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:43.000 and can hopefully pass in 2025 that would increase access. First, the 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:47.000 freedom to vote act. This is a bill that has all of the 00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:53.000 best practices that we know around voting. 00:20:53.000 --> 00:20:56.000 Automatic voter registration, same-day voter registration, allowing for these 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:59.000 two weeks of early voting, different ballot hearing 00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:06.000 procedures postelection so if you do send your 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:10.000 vote in you can make sure your voice is still heard. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:17.000 All the best practices we know and we are trying to pass that so there 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:21.000 are nationwide systems instead of 50 different systems and 50 different 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:22.000 states. 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:25.000 The second one, the John (unknown name) voter rights advancement act, 00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:28.000 update of the historic 1963 voter rights advancement act 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:31.000 . Ultimately what this does is 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:35.000 it's kind of a defensive bill where 00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:37.000 if a jurisdiction, state, city, town, 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:40.000 passes a bill about 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:44.000 voting, it is automatically reviewed by 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:51.000 a three-judge panel to determine if it has a negative impact 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:56.000 on people being able to vote, particularly if it has a negative 00:21:56.000 --> 00:22:01.000 racial impact, obviously going back to the civil rights movement. 00:22:01.000 --> 00:22:06.000 It updates in order to better suit the times that we have now, a voter 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:11.000 suppression versus what it looked like 50 years ago when it was initially 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:16.000 passed, or 60 years ago. The next one is the native American 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:19.000 voting rights act, giving specific protections for people in Indigenous 00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:22.000 communities around ultimately because there are different sovereign countries 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:27.000 that we are dealing with, different issues that go there. Final one, near 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:32.000 and dear to my heart because I live in Washington, DC, is DC state law, 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:36.000 ensuring that a 700,000 people in Washington, DC, have representation in 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:41.000 Congress which they do not currently have. The four of those are the main 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:46.000 democracy bills that we think, in combination, if passed, can do a really 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:50.000 excellent job of ensuring everybody has the right to vote easily, freely and 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:53.000 fairly. COURTNEY COOPERMAN: Take you, Justin. I 00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:55.000 will add to that, 00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:59.000 in past years we endorsed Bill called Our Homes, Our Votes 00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:01.000 Act that would add subsidized housing 00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:06.000 to the 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:10.000 voter rock, the National Voter Registration Day act, which Annette 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:16.000 bills people to register seamlessly while getting a drivers license. 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:20.000 Having the seamless voter registration process while also 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:21.000 signing a lease 00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:24.000 , 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:30.000 a lot of potential proposals that would strengthen voting rights. 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.000 I am seeing some comments, Edith commented about Michigan's registration 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:36.000 process, and that underscores the point 00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:43.000 . We have so many states that do 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:48.000 have stronger voting rights, then the federal standards, and we need the 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:53.000 federal standards to catch up. I am also seeing a question in the chat 00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:55.000 from Coach Ron about 00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:59.000 voter ID. Can you speak about the patchwork of 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:04.000 voter ID laws and 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:08.000 where people can go to navigate that. JUSTIN KWASA: Absolutely. Once again, 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:14.000 voter ID is another one where there's 50 different ways to do it because of 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:17.000 50 different states. One of the main organizations that I 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:22.000 really rely on, which I dropped in the chat, is vote Riders, 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:27.000 you can see on the main page, they have a map saying every single state 00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:29.000 and what you need. 00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:34.000 It's about half-and-half, where about half of the states, you don't need any 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:40.000 type of voter ID in order to be able to vote, just go in and say your name and 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:44.000 you go vote. The other half, they do voter IDs and 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:50.000 to be honest, every single state, the list is different in terms of what they 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:53.000 do. Some do student IDs, some to certain 00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:56.000 licenses, some don't. Ultimately, you have to look up what is 00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:01.000 there. One thing I will gift a shadow to V -- 00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:04.000 -- give a shout out to is Vote Riders, 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:09.000 if you do not have an eligible license, they will work with you to 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:14.000 find one for free. A lot of times we consider voter ID to 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:18.000 be somewhat of a pull tactic because usually those ideas -- IDs, the cost, 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:22.000 passport, drivers license, or state IDs. 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:28.000 This is a good place to go to figure out your requirements and if you do not 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:32.000 meet the requirements, what are ultimate -- alternate ways in order to 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:34.000 vote in this election? 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:36.000 COURTNEY COOPERMAN: Mrs. B, one of our 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:39.000 board members put a link in the chat 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:45.000 about 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:49.000 voter rates for formerly incarcerated people. Thank you for sharing 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:50.000 . 00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:54.000 Can you speak it but topic and specifically since states have changed 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:57.000 the laws, or 00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:59.000 some states allow 00:25:59.000 --> 00:26:06.000 or do not allow if you have 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:10.000 criminal record, how do we dispel the misinformation around voter eligibility 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:13.000 for formerly incarcerated? JUSTIN KWASA: With Voter 00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:14.000 ID, 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:18.000 it's tough 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:22.000 because there's differences in the states. Referring back to the voter for 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:26.000 will -- -- voter 411, you can 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:30.000 see how your state deals with formerly incarcerated individuals. 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:33.000 What we talked about a little bit earlier, 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:39.000 we do have a judicial system where 00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:43.000 you are guilty – you are, sorry, you are innocent instill 00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:46.000 -- until proven guilty. 00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:51.000 A lot of folks awaiting trial in jail do have the opportunity to vote 00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:54.000 absentee. 00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:59.000 How easy that is to do, definitely depends by state. Ultimately, 00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:01.000 you have to figure that out. 00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:05.000 That is what the cases. 00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:07.000 Post jail, it gets more complicated because 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:12.000 there are different interpretations on 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:13.000 what it means to 00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:16.000 fulfill 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:18.000 your duty to society. 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:22.000 Some states they have it where 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:26.000 if you are still on probation, you cannot vote whereas other states the 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:32.000 second that you leave confinement that you are able to do it. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:38.000 At the end of the day, going back to four will one or calling one of the 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:47.000 hotlines, 00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:52.000 with your unique situation is the best way to push back against misinformation 00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:57.000 and disk information and making a plan to vote and then talking to the 00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:01.000 community but the option to vote in this case. COURTNEY COOPERMAN: Thank 00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:05.000 you so much. One question that has come up for me 00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:09.000 has been around nonpartisanship and pushing back against misinformation. We 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:13.000 are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we do not endorse or favor any 00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:15.000 candidates but we have, on occasion, 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:19.000 in various election cycles, see misinformation that comes from a 00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:21.000 political candidate. How can nonpartisan entities balance 00:28:21.000 --> 00:28:23.000 between correcting the record and 00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:26.000 , especially when it's misinformation about who was 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:30.000 eligible to vote without crossing the line into 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:33.000 partisanship? JUSTIN KWASA: Absolutely. We talked 00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:42.000 about earlier. 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:46.000 Figure out what are the messaging resources of your Secretary of State? 00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:50.000 Your election administrator, Secretary of State, County clerks. 00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:55.000 Being able to produce what they talk about, what they say about all the 00:28:55.000 --> 00:29:01.000 issues, it is a nonbiased, these are people whose main goal is to make sure 00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:07.000 we get everything right, and so being able to promote, 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:12.000 push it to your communities, uplift what they are saying so that it is not 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:17.000 coming from a partisan source, not coming from an individual candidate is 00:29:17.000 --> 00:29:22.000 the safest way to do that. What we are trying to do, whether it is 00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:26.000 the League of Conservation Voter Education Fund, or you all, we just 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:32.000 want to make sure that our people's voices are heard in the best way to do 00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:37.000 that is to follow the people that are administering the elections, and taking 00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:42.000 what they are saying as true versus any candidate that has a clear political 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:45.000 motivation. That is what I would say, understanding 00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:48.000 what are those Instagram, twitter, Facebook, TikTok pages that your 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:52.000 election administrators talk through, and then promoting whatever comes from 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:54.000 those accounts. COURTNEY COOPERMAN: Wonderful. Thank 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:57.000 you so much. That is super helpful guidance. Always 00:29:57.000 --> 00:30:02.000 just point people to the official, accurate information in a way -- away 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:07.000 from the misinformation that has a political agenda. I also saw a comment 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:13.000 in a little while back, I believe it was from Lanita, 00:30:13.000 --> 00:30:19.000 and I think my colleague Lindsay mentioned it in the chat. I wanted to 00:30:19.000 --> 00:30:22.000 uplift it because it's a great question. Which entity provides voter 00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:27.000 registration posters and information that can be posted? Lenny to works in 00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:32.000 affordable housing and was to put posters in lobbies and mailboxes. 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:38.000 We love to hear this, this is why our homes or votes exist, we are here to 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:43.000 provide tools and resources to those who 00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:47.000 work in the community. There's a link in the chat of 00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:51.000 downloadable resources and stuff you can order online. 00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:55.000 I am going to see if we have anymore questions for Justin. 00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:59.000 I also see that we have been 00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:01.000 joined by 00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:04.000 I believe Jeanette 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:07.000 is joining us from the League of Women Voters 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:11.000 . 00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:16.000 Jeanette, if you are here, come on camera, and we will hit it over to you 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:24.000 in a few seconds. 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:30.000 SPEAKER: Can you hear me? 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:34.000 Good afternoon, everybody, my name is Jeanette Senecal, senior director 00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:42.000 of mission impact 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:45.000 of the League of Women Voters. My 00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:47.000 coworker Chelsey Cartwright could not 00:31:47.000 --> 00:31:49.000 make it. 00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:53.000 I'm here to talk about the Truth In Democracy project. 00:31:53.000 --> 00:31:55.000 You will see quickly about 00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:58.000 – one more – 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:01.000 landscape. 00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:08.000 Understanding the landscape of missing disinformation is 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:13.000 – miss information and disinformation is one of the steps we want to help 00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:18.000 people understand. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:23.000 They have different purposes but the same impact. People do not know what to 00:32:23.000 --> 00:32:24.000 trust, 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:27.000 people are getting the wrong information, whether you are spreading 00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:29.000 it on accident, which is misinformation 00:32:29.000 --> 00:32:33.000 or your data purposely with an intention to hurt different 00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:40.000 populations, which is disinformation and malinformation. 00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:45.000 At the end of the day it undermines our democratic processes, trust in our 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:49.000 elections, and people's voices are sometimes suppressed. We want to make 00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:54.000 sure that we are combating it, both to combat the fear in the polarization, 00:32:54.000 --> 00:32:59.000 but we also understand that there is really no silver bullet, in order to 00:32:59.000 --> 00:33:05.000 find the solutions to combating it. On the next slide, we will see 00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:08.000 just quickly some of the definitions around 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:09.000 misinformation, disinformation and malinforma 00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:12.000 tion. 00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:15.000 Misinformation, is designed 00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:17.000 or defined as false or inaccurate information 00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:21.000 . It is usually spread 00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:22.000 more accidentally. Disinformation and 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:23.000 malinformatio 00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:28.000 n 00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:33.000 are more insidious, and have a more negative impact and are generally 00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:36.000 targeted at specific communities. They are based on false information 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:37.000 which is intended 00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:42.000 to mislead, have harm on different communities, have a negative impact. 00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:49.000 The person -- pervasiveness of 00:33:49.000 --> 00:33:52.000 misinformation is trying to deliberately amplify mistrust and a 00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:57.000 present a significant threat to both the security of US citizens, the 00:33:57.000 --> 00:34:02.000 well-being of US citizens, and the trust of our electorate 00:34:02.000 --> 00:34:06.000 and the outcome of our elections and other processes within our democratic 00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:10.000 process as well. It is not used Doctor Chester elections 00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:16.000 his other institutions within the country. 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:21.000 We'll talk about why this is spread. Misinformation side is usually spread 00:34:21.000 --> 00:34:25.000 because people are doing it on accident. But disinformation and malinf 00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:28.000 ormation 00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:32.000 is spread because people have a specific political outcome they are 00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:36.000 trying to deliver. They have a specific ideology, there is 00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:40.000 financial motivations, 00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:43.000 sometimes it is for amusement, sometimes they are harassing people. 00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:47.000 But really, the producers and disseminators of the original content of 00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:49.000 disinformation and malinformation 00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:55.000 are trying to benefit 00:34:55.000 --> 00:34:59.000 from poorly informed populations that they can manipulate to their advantage, 00:34:59.000 --> 00:35:04.000 trying to get to a specific result. When we think about why people believe 00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:07.000 or do not believe this information and malinformation, 00:35:07.000 --> 00:35:13.000 a lot of times when you see it come up, it is playing on our emotions 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:16.000 or our biases. It is amplifying our fears, 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:19.000 our anxieties, or our anger at a specific outcome 00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:21.000 that is happening. 00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:30.000 It is often based in a kernel of truth. So it makes it easy 00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:34.000 to believe, especially if you are predisposed to believing it already 00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:39.000 because you want to, because it might help really relieve some fear that you 00:35:39.000 --> 00:35:42.000 are already having. Because it is play on our emotions. 00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:46.000 People tend to process information by looking for and interpreting things 00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:50.000 that are consistent with their already beliefs, and there are -- 00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:53.000 already instilled biases. Often times disinformation and 00:35:53.000 --> 00:35:58.000 malinformation plays on confirmation 00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:03.000 bias, so we are ready think this and we see this piece of information that 00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:09.000 reinforces and Telus us that -- – Mike tells us that our bias is true. The 00:36:09.000 --> 00:36:12.000 most effective 00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:16.000 campaigns combined the strategies, play on fears, based on the emotions 00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:19.000 and kernel of truth, and they inform and reinforce 00:36:19.000 --> 00:36:21.000 biases that people already have. 00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:22.000 When combating misinformation, 00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:24.000 we really 00:36:24.000 --> 00:36:26.000 – we call it the sift 00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:32.000 method. 00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:37.000 You want to stop for a moment, when you're reading something especially if 00:36:37.000 --> 00:36:40.000 you are having the first emotional response to something, stop. 00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:44.000 Investigate the source. Find better coverage. Trace the claims, 00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:47.000 or the quotes, or whatever back to their original content.y 00:36:47.000 --> 00:36:50.000 Sometimes what we will see with misinformation or 00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:55.000 disinformation is that it is accurate information 00:36:55.000 --> 00:37:00.000 but just used out of context, or accurate information from a different 00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:03.000 point in time. Or it is accurate numbers about 00:37:03.000 --> 00:37:06.000 something that are being used in a way that 00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:09.000 is not telling the whole story. 00:37:09.000 --> 00:37:14.000 And so, we want to make sure that we are taking 00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:18.000 a moment especially when we having the original response to it, 00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:24.000 to see if there is better information out there or see if there is other 00:37:24.000 --> 00:37:31.000 information that can confirm or disprove what we are seeing. 00:37:31.000 --> 00:37:35.000 We also really want to cultivate meaningful dialogue in our own 00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:37.000 networks. We are all really trusted messengers 00:37:37.000 --> 00:37:41.000 within our own networks, we can help 00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:45.000 not spread misinformation and disinformation on accident. It is on us 00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:50.000 to help stop the spread but it is also on us to help spread the right 00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:54.000 information. One of the things that we can really do 00:37:54.000 --> 00:37:57.000 is focus on spreading the accurate information 00:37:57.000 --> 00:38:01.000 as much as possible. Because when your network hears from 00:38:01.000 --> 00:38:03.000 you, and your network sees you talking 00:38:03.000 --> 00:38:08.000 about different things, they pay a bit more attention to what you are saying. 00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:13.000 When they see something that is inaccurate they think, so and so, who I 00:38:13.000 --> 00:38:18.000 know well said something different. ABI should take a moment to look into 00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:20.000 this. 00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:24.000 We call this empowering our civic curiosity, but being a little curious 00:38:24.000 --> 00:38:28.000 to things that do not quite fit in our frame. 00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:32.000 If it fits within our frame, or easy to accept it. 00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:39.000 When something is counter to what we believe already, 00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:44.000 sometimes we push back and we ignore, just because it doesn't confirm the 00:38:44.000 --> 00:38:49.000 bias or confirm the belief we are ready have. If we have a little curiosity to 00:38:49.000 --> 00:38:53.000 say, is this really true? It can really help us come back 00:38:53.000 --> 00:38:56.000 -- combat as falling victim to misinformation. 00:38:56.000 --> 00:39:04.000 The more we are aware of the different tools 00:39:04.000 --> 00:39:08.000 that the people that are using misinformation and disinformation to 00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:12.000 their advantage, the more we are aware of what they're doing, the better 00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:18.000 prepare that we can be to boast I affect both identify it and call it out 00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:23.000 and recognize it is happening, and share the information with others. 00:39:23.000 --> 00:39:27.000 When we are trying to address misinformation and disinformation, the 00:39:27.000 --> 00:39:32.000 first thing to do is try to neutralize the information by holding up the 00:39:32.000 --> 00:39:36.000 narratives that are true. We want to make sure that we are not 00:39:36.000 --> 00:39:40.000 over exaggerating our own language, or over sensationalizing our response, 00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:41.000 because people will 00:39:41.000 --> 00:39:49.000 also recognize that, and not want to hear what we have to say, either. 00:39:49.000 --> 00:39:54.000 When we are pushing back, focusing on the truth and focusing on the facts, 00:39:54.000 --> 00:39:58.000 without repeating the misinformation is also really important. The more we say 00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:00.000 things like, voter fraud 00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:11.000 isn't happening. 00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:16.000 The fact that I use the term voter fraud only reinforces, for many people, 00:40:16.000 --> 00:40:21.000 that voter fraud is a real thing. It doesn't matter that the rest of my 00:40:21.000 --> 00:40:26.000 statement is that it's not happening and here's the ways we protect against 00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:29.000 it. The fact that I used to terminology 00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:34.000 reinforces for people that it exists. We want to make sure that we are being 00:40:34.000 --> 00:40:39.000 really intentional about the language that we are using. That will help make 00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:43.000 sure that we are not reinforcing the wrong messages., when talking to 00:40:43.000 --> 00:40:46.000 people. Some of the do's and don'ts of 00:40:46.000 --> 00:40:49.000 misinformation. This is on the next slide. Thank you. 00:40:49.000 --> 00:40:55.000 Before we craft a response, we really want to pause, again, for a moment, to 00:40:55.000 --> 00:41:00.000 reflect upon what has been said so that we are not also responding emotionally. 00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:06.000 But also, so that we take a minute to find what the kernel of truth is, if 00:41:06.000 --> 00:41:11.000 there is one, so that we can address the claim head-on. Often times, we will 00:41:11.000 --> 00:41:16.000 hear that the mail system cannot be trusted. Then we'll talk about how many 00:41:16.000 --> 00:41:17.000 pieces of mail, 00:41:17.000 --> 00:41:22.000 people have been voting by mail for a century, people overseas and military 00:41:22.000 --> 00:41:27.000 have been voting by mail for decades in time and millions of votes have been 00:41:27.000 --> 00:41:31.000 cast using that method. Securely, and effectively, for decades. 00:41:31.000 --> 00:41:36.000 We have processes in place that help inform 00:41:36.000 --> 00:41:41.000 our election officials, that they know how, if there is any problem in the 00:41:41.000 --> 00:41:44.000 system, where to go, who to talk to, etc. 00:41:44.000 --> 00:41:50.000 If there is a kernel of truth, we want to take a moment to reflect upon what 00:41:50.000 --> 00:41:56.000 the kernel of truth is so we can address it. We also want to make sure 00:41:56.000 --> 00:42:00.000 that with -- what 00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:04.000 we are saying is accurate. If we can make it actionable, so people 00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:09.000 can go someplace to verify what they are saying, directed to a resource is 00:42:09.000 --> 00:42:12.000 helpful. If there is any aspirational language 00:42:12.000 --> 00:42:18.000 that we can fold into it, that is always a good way to make sure that the 00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:23.000 message that you are sharing is being amplified and will be shared by your 00:42:23.000 --> 00:42:26.000 network. We also want to focus on the solution 00:42:26.000 --> 00:42:30.000 building. We want to focus on finding what the 00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:34.000 common ground is, so that we can move forward and beyond whatever the 00:42:34.000 --> 00:42:39.000 misinformation has started with. Some of the strategies that we use when 00:42:39.000 --> 00:42:43.000 we are combating misinformation and disinformation is that this is really 00:42:43.000 --> 00:42:46.000 got to be a collective action. Right? There is no 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:52.000 one person that is the solution, no one person who is the problem. There is 00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:55.000 no legislative answer. There is no one single legislative 00:42:55.000 --> 00:42:58.000 answer. It really comes down to all of us 00:42:58.000 --> 00:43:02.000 understanding what is going on, and building our own community-based, 00:43:02.000 --> 00:43:06.000 collective resilience to misinformation and disinformation. Both so that we do 00:43:06.000 --> 00:43:07.000 not 00:43:07.000 --> 00:43:14.000 – we are immune to it, and so that we can help other people in our community 00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:17.000 get the right information and overcome any misinformation and malinformation 00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:20.000 being spread. So everyone is susceptible to this. 00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:22.000 I see 00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:27.000 my friends and family sharing things because they think it is a funny 00:43:27.000 --> 00:43:28.000 meeme 00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:31.000 or something else. At the end of the day, this funny 00:43:31.000 --> 00:43:36.000 meme 00:43:36.000 --> 00:43:40.000 is spreading misinformation about somebody, often times, or a group of 00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:44.000 people, and that misinformation is usually doing harm to a group of people. 00:43:44.000 --> 00:43:49.000 We want to make sure that we are not falling victim to that same 00:43:49.000 --> 00:43:51.000 rabbit hole. 00:43:51.000 --> 00:43:56.000 We don't want to be one of the people who mistakenly spreads misinformation 00:43:56.000 --> 00:43:59.000 and disinformation. We also want to make sure that 00:43:59.000 --> 00:44:01.000 if our friends and families and colleagues, 00:44:01.000 --> 00:44:04.000 within communities of color, are really being 00:44:04.000 --> 00:44:06.000 directed 00:44:06.000 --> 00:44:10.000 with misinformation and disinformation, and targeted 00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:15.000 with that information, that we are also able to help support our friends 00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:23.000 and family, as they are working to overcome this. Really understanding how 00:44:23.000 --> 00:44:26.000 communities of color and underrepresented communities are 00:44:26.000 --> 00:44:30.000 affected is really key to unraveling misinformation and disinformation. For 00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:33.000 this community, a piece of misinformation and mal 00:44:33.000 --> 00:44:40.000 information, 00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:45.000 a person without a home cannot vote. If you don't have a home or permanent 00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:50.000 address, you are not allowed to vote. That is not true. The rules are 00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:55.000 different per state where you can get registered to vote, etc. If you are 00:44:55.000 --> 00:44:59.000 experiencing homelessness, or looking for a home, or looking for homes, but 00:44:59.000 --> 00:45:04.000 there is a perception that they might not be able to vote. 00:45:04.000 --> 00:45:09.000 We want to make sure that the communities that we are talking to and 00:45:09.000 --> 00:45:13.000 working with have the information that they need, and usually this is a 00:45:13.000 --> 00:45:17.000 state-by-state issue, but that they have the specific information that they 00:45:17.000 --> 00:45:21.000 need so that they can navigate the misinformation that is being spread 00:45:21.000 --> 00:45:25.000 amongst their community. Again, the more we are aware of how 00:45:25.000 --> 00:45:31.000 these strategies work, the better we can be prepared to push back on them. 00:45:31.000 --> 00:45:37.000 Going back to some of the do's and don'ts – we want to make sure that we 00:45:37.000 --> 00:45:38.000 are doing this SIFT 00:45:38.000 --> 00:45:42.000 strategy, reading beyond the headlines, doing fact checking. Can we 00:45:42.000 --> 00:45:45.000 verify what is being shared? Looking at the source. 00:45:45.000 --> 00:45:50.000 I know I mentioned this before, but sometimes the date is really important. 00:45:50.000 --> 00:45:58.000 There could be accurate data that is being shared from 00:45:58.000 --> 00:46:03.000 2020, that is being stated as if it is happening right now in 2024. Or it 00:46:03.000 --> 00:46:09.000 happened in 2018, and it is being stated as if it is happening right now. 00:46:09.000 --> 00:46:14.000 Making sure that we are looking at the dates, looking at the sources, really 00:46:14.000 --> 00:46:19.000 helps us engage with information the right way. I will say, especially on 00:46:19.000 --> 00:46:24.000 social media, one of the things we want to avoid doing is interacting with it 00:46:24.000 --> 00:46:27.000 at all. Even with angry MO cheese, or comment 00:46:27.000 --> 00:46:30.000 and push back. 00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:35.000 What this does in the social media realm is making more likely that 00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:40.000 someone will see the misinformation. We want to start a new thread starting 00:46:40.000 --> 00:46:41.000 to 00:46:41.000 --> 00:46:45.000 talk to our own community, and here is the right information about whatever 00:46:45.000 --> 00:46:48.000 the issue you saw the misinformation on. 00:46:48.000 --> 00:46:51.000 We don't want to help spread inadvertently because we have 00:46:51.000 --> 00:46:57.000 interacted with it in some way. On the next slide, we will see a couple 00:46:57.000 --> 00:47:01.000 ways that we can help protect ourselves, and help protect our 00:47:01.000 --> 00:47:04.000 communities. It is really making sure that we are 00:47:04.000 --> 00:47:09.000 following a diverse range of news sources and perspectives, so we are not 00:47:09.000 --> 00:47:12.000 limiting ourselves to only hearing from like-minded sources and individuals. 00:47:12.000 --> 00:47:16.000 In part, doing that helps us understand 00:47:16.000 --> 00:47:21.000 what others are saying about the very issues that we care about. 00:47:21.000 --> 00:47:25.000 When we see what others are saying, we can sometimes 00:47:25.000 --> 00:47:26.000 try to understand 00:47:26.000 --> 00:47:31.000 what the underlying 00:47:31.000 --> 00:47:37.000 fear is, or the emotion that people are having, so we can try to work on 00:47:37.000 --> 00:47:43.000 the root cause of what the problem is, not just the symptom of it, but the 00:47:43.000 --> 00:47:46.000 cause of it. If we are seeking well-balanced 00:47:46.000 --> 00:47:50.000 viewpoints, then we also know what kinds of arguments are working well 00:47:50.000 --> 00:47:54.000 in those other communities, so that we can put together arguments 00:47:54.000 --> 00:47:57.000 that will be counter to what they are saying. 00:47:57.000 --> 00:48:00.000 Not everyone that we encounter is going to 00:48:00.000 --> 00:48:07.000 share accurate information, they are not going to read information, 00:48:07.000 --> 00:48:12.000 making sure we take a moment to understand 00:48:12.000 --> 00:48:17.000 the source of the information, and where it is coming from, it can be very 00:48:17.000 --> 00:48:19.000 helpful. 00:48:19.000 --> 00:48:22.000 As we are looking at this election season, specifically, 00:48:22.000 --> 00:48:26.000 one of the things that is really helping the pushback on 00:48:26.000 --> 00:48:27.000 misinformation and disinformation 00:48:27.000 --> 00:48:32.000 in the electoral space is encouraging people to be a poll worker 00:48:32.000 --> 00:48:33.000 or be a poll 00:48:33.000 --> 00:48:41.000 watcher or observer. When people are more 00:48:41.000 --> 00:48:45.000 engaged with the election process, they are more immune to the 00:48:45.000 --> 00:48:49.000 misinformation and disinformation being spread because they have their own 00:48:49.000 --> 00:48:53.000 lived experience through which they filter the information that they are 00:48:53.000 --> 00:48:55.000 getting. So when somebody says, "We sell 100 00:48:55.000 --> 00:49:01.000 pallets rolled into this polling place, and they already voted." 00:49:01.000 --> 00:49:05.000 If you are a poll worker you can say, " 00:49:05.000 --> 00:49:09.000 This is what the processes." He become more informed, better 00:49:09.000 --> 00:49:13.000 messenger and because 00:49:13.000 --> 00:49:15.000 you are trusted in the community, 00:49:15.000 --> 00:49:17.000 . 00:49:17.000 --> 00:49:21.000 Keeping the lines of communications open with the local 00:49:21.000 --> 00:49:24.000 election officials. They are bombarded right now with a lot 00:49:24.000 --> 00:49:35.000 of things from information requests, 00:49:35.000 --> 00:49:39.000 speaking engagements, making sure they have the machines and poll workers that 00:49:39.000 --> 00:49:45.000 they need, have everybody train. There is a lot going on but if we can 00:49:45.000 --> 00:49:49.000 have open lines of communication with them, they also know what 00:49:49.000 --> 00:49:53.000 misinformation and disinformation is being spread in our communities. We can 00:49:53.000 --> 00:49:56.000 help them spread the right information. Generally, encouraging people to 00:49:56.000 --> 00:50:02.000 understand what the process is, in our local community – this is how and when 00:50:02.000 --> 00:50:05.000 absentee ballots are counted. This is how and when 00:50:05.000 --> 00:50:09.000 provisional ballots are counted. This is how and when people can cure 00:50:09.000 --> 00:50:14.000 their mail and ballots if they had a problem. This is when the official 00:50:14.000 --> 00:50:18.000 results will be ready. The more that people know the different 00:50:18.000 --> 00:50:21.000 steps that are going to happen, 00:50:21.000 --> 00:50:25.000 the less likely they are to succumb to misinformation and disinformation. 00:50:25.000 --> 00:50:28.000 One of the other things we see a lot 00:50:28.000 --> 00:50:31.000 , 00:50:31.000 --> 00:50:35.000 in misinformation and disinformation about, is the candidates will have 00:50:35.000 --> 00:50:42.000 where they stand on certain things. Hearing from the candidates directly, 00:50:42.000 --> 00:50:47.000 attending a candidate forum or debate, this is helpful in making sure that 00:50:47.000 --> 00:50:48.000 we know, as voters, 00:50:48.000 --> 00:50:53.000 and as messengers in our community, we know what information we can be sharing. 00:50:53.000 --> 00:50:54.000 Again, 00:50:54.000 --> 00:50:58.000 more tips for us when we are trying to combat misinformation. 00:50:58.000 --> 00:51:00.000 There are times and places where there 00:51:00.000 --> 00:51:02.000 are information gaps. 00:51:02.000 --> 00:51:06.000 If the general public or your community doesn't know 00:51:06.000 --> 00:51:09.000 something, again, about when absentee ballots are counted, 00:51:09.000 --> 00:51:12.000 we don't want to fall into the void 00:51:12.000 --> 00:51:15.000 or the information gap. 00:51:15.000 --> 00:51:17.000 But we can actually help fill the void 00:51:17.000 --> 00:51:19.000 and information gap 00:51:19.000 --> 00:51:26.000 by sharing it with people. If we know 00:51:26.000 --> 00:51:31.000 what part of the election process people do not really understand, or 00:51:31.000 --> 00:51:36.000 what part of the election process is under attack in our community, we can 00:51:36.000 --> 00:51:40.000 help increase people's information base and baseline on that very issue. 00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:46.000 When we are really talking about those processes and helping people understand, 00:51:46.000 --> 00:51:52.000 this is how the machines are checked, and this is how we handle them at the 00:51:52.000 --> 00:51:56.000 polling place, and this is where they go after the polling place. When people 00:51:56.000 --> 00:52:00.000 understand the real specifics around the procedures and processes, it really 00:52:00.000 --> 00:52:09.000 helps them, again, not to come to misinformation and disinformation. 00:52:09.000 --> 00:52:14.000 I know this light had a bullet on the previous slide, had a bullet about 00:52:14.000 --> 00:52:18.000 developing partnerships with trusted messengers. That is true. I am not the 00:52:18.000 --> 00:52:24.000 trusted messenger in every community, none of us is in every community. 00:52:24.000 --> 00:52:28.000 Making sure that we have partners who have the tools and resources that they 00:52:28.000 --> 00:52:32.000 need is critical. But we are the trusted messenger in 00:52:32.000 --> 00:52:36.000 many communities. Making sure that we are using our own 00:52:36.000 --> 00:52:40.000 relational organizing skills to help our communities is really an important 00:52:40.000 --> 00:52:44.000 piece of the work for us to do between now and election day. 00:52:44.000 --> 00:52:49.000 Our theory of change generally around this, as I mentioned. If somebody is a 00:52:49.000 --> 00:52:53.000 poll worker or election observer, the more life experience someone has, 00:52:53.000 --> 00:52:58.000 related to the election, and the more specifics they understand, they can be 00:52:58.000 --> 00:53:01.000 a key disruptor to misinformation and disk -- 00:53:01.000 --> 00:53:05.000 disinformation being spread and they can help spread the accurate 00:53:05.000 --> 00:53:06.000 information in it advance. 00:53:06.000 --> 00:53:13.000 Making sure that people that are really anchored in their communities 00:53:13.000 --> 00:53:17.000 – they know what is best. They know what information gets 00:53:17.000 --> 00:53:20.000 communicated, and how it gets communicated, and what spaces that 00:53:20.000 --> 00:53:25.000 information is getting communicated in. Making sure that we have people who are 00:53:25.000 --> 00:53:29.000 really anchored in their communities leaning on the messaging, leaning on the 00:53:29.000 --> 00:53:32.000 , 00:53:32.000 --> 00:53:36.000 some of the tools we are sharing related to combating misinformation is 00:53:36.000 --> 00:53:43.000 critical. If they are not already connected the 00:53:43.000 --> 00:53:47.000 to the local election officials and local news stations, sometimes we have 00:53:47.000 --> 00:53:52.000 the connections and we can help other communities have the connections as 00:53:52.000 --> 00:53:55.000 well. They are the ones that really need to 00:53:55.000 --> 00:53:59.000 be leading the conversation within their community, as a trusted messenger. 00:53:59.000 --> 00:54:04.000 Again, we want to make sure that we are building community connections and 00:54:04.000 --> 00:54:09.000 coalitions, so we want to make sure we are partnering with organizations that 00:54:09.000 --> 00:54:11.000 hold the similar values that we hold, 00:54:11.000 --> 00:54:28.000 but also those who have missions that align with ours. 00:54:28.000 --> 00:54:33.000 We don't always believe that people are the answer, people 00:54:33.000 --> 00:54:37.000 should have agency in decision-making and public policies that are being 00:54:37.000 --> 00:54:46.000 designed about that. 00:54:46.000 --> 00:54:51.000 When we work with groups that share similar values to us, it can really 00:54:51.000 --> 00:54:56.000 help us go beyond what we can do individually. We want to make sure we 00:54:56.000 --> 00:55:26.000 are joining forces, so that we 00:55:28.000 --> 00:55:29.000 . 00:55:29.000 --> 00:55:35.000 . 00:55:35.000 --> 00:55:39.000 We have a program called the civic listening force. If there are folks 00:55:39.000 --> 00:55:45.000 that are wanting to dig deeper into this, and have a deeper training and 00:55:45.000 --> 00:55:47.000 contribute to tracking the misinformation, disinformation and mal 00:55:47.000 --> 00:55:52.000 information trends, so that we know what information we can share. We would 00:55:52.000 --> 00:55:58.000 love to share the opportunity with you. Please reach out to us and we are happy 00:55:58.000 --> 00:56:03.000 to connect you with us that. We have a do's and don'ts on election 00:56:03.000 --> 00:56:07.000 information that is available in English and Spanish, for the general 00:56:07.000 --> 00:56:11.000 public to really help them understand just the top five things that you 00:56:11.000 --> 00:56:16.000 should or should not do during the selection timeframe, as we are heading 00:56:16.000 --> 00:56:21.000 into the last 40+ days before election day. There's going to be a lot of 00:56:21.000 --> 00:56:25.000 activity. I don't know if there are questions. I 00:56:25.000 --> 00:56:29.000 was not monitoring the child. COURTNEY COOPERMAN: thank you so much, 00:56:29.000 --> 00:56:36.000 you answered my question, what resource are available for people to take home? 00:56:36.000 --> 00:56:41.000 Or to share with the colleagues that are not on the webinar today. If you 00:56:41.000 --> 00:56:47.000 can share any resources with me I will make sure they get in the follow-up 00:56:47.000 --> 00:56:49.000 notes. Really appreciate your leadership and 00:56:49.000 --> 00:56:53.000 jumping in today, this is exactly the information I was looking for. 00:56:53.000 --> 00:56:57.000 Appreciate you stepping in. We have about two months left and I 00:56:57.000 --> 00:57:01.000 have a few closing announcements. Going to the closing announcements 00:57:01.000 --> 00:57:06.000 slides, maybe four slides back. I just want to share that next week 00:57:06.000 --> 00:57:12.000 from October 7-11 is National Voter Education Week. 00:57:12.000 --> 00:57:17.000 It is a nonpartisan week of action to celebrate our democracy and ensure that 00:57:17.000 --> 00:57:22.000 voters are prepared to cast their ballots with confidence. 00:57:22.000 --> 00:57:26.000 I think that fits in well with everything we are talking about today. 00:57:26.000 --> 00:57:30.000 There's five calls to action for National Voter Education Week, 00:57:30.000 --> 00:57:35.000 registering to vote, getting to know your ballot, making a plan to vote, 00:57:35.000 --> 00:57:38.000 understanding the process, and sharing with your friends and family. 00:57:38.000 --> 00:57:44.000 Keep an eye on social media for National Voter Education Week content. 00:57:44.000 --> 00:57:49.000 Relatedly, as a follow-up from the webinar we did two weeks ago, we 00:57:49.000 --> 00:57:52.000 created a resource that summarizes the quarter -- four 00:57:52.000 --> 00:57:57.000 nonpartisan civic holidays and ways you can celebrate. We will drop a link 00:57:57.000 --> 00:57:59.000 to the document. We have our compsrehe 00:57:59.000 --> 00:58:03.000 nsive 00:58:03.000 --> 00:58:08.000 online resource library that can help you plan every aspect of a nonpartisan 00:58:08.000 --> 00:58:11.000 voter engagement campaign and you can find that at 00:58:11.000 --> 00:58:17.000 our homes – our votes.org 00:58:17.000 --> 00:58:21.000 Continuing in this theme of voter education, I also encourage anyone who 00:58:21.000 --> 00:58:25.000 has not done so already to check out Turbo Vote, 00:58:25.000 --> 00:58:29.000 it's our one-stop shop where voters can register, check the registration 00:58:29.000 --> 00:58:33.000 status, sign up for election reminders and find nonpartisan election 00:58:33.000 --> 00:58:35.000 information for your community. 00:58:35.000 --> 00:58:39.000 As the election gets closer, Turbo Vote features more information about 00:58:39.000 --> 00:58:41.000 what to expect on your ballots, 00:58:41.000 --> 00:58:46.000 including candidates all the way down to the hyper local level. It is really 00:58:46.000 --> 00:58:52.000 a great way to get acquainted with what to expect on the ballot and you can 00:58:52.000 --> 00:58:58.000 scan the QR code or follow the link in the chat to get there. 00:58:58.000 --> 00:59:03.000 We can go to the next slide. I also will flag we have another 00:59:03.000 --> 00:59:08.000 webinar next Monday, October 7, at 2:30 PM Eastern which will focus on knowing 00:59:08.000 --> 00:59:12.000 your rights and election protection. Note this webinar is happening next 00:59:12.000 --> 00:59:17.000 week, we don't normally have them two weeks back to back. Seeing as this is 00:59:17.000 --> 00:59:24.000 such a critical time in the lead up to the election, we want to make sure you 00:59:24.000 --> 00:59:28.000 have all the resources in hand. We will have their three fantastic 00:59:28.000 --> 00:59:31.000 speakers, Kimiya Factory, from election production collision, Nicole Burns from 00:59:31.000 --> 00:59:33.000 patient voting, and Amirah Norman 00:59:33.000 --> 00:59:37.000 from pizza to the polls. 00:59:37.000 --> 00:59:42.000 This is a description of the upcoming webinars and the topics on the series 00:59:42.000 --> 00:59:46.000 . This is on the website and we can share 00:59:46.000 --> 00:59:51.000 the website in the chat. Last but not least, we can go to the 00:59:51.000 --> 00:59:52.000 next slide. 00:59:52.000 --> 00:59:56.000 I will just shared that Our Homes, Our Votes has a network of affiliates 00:59:56.000 --> 00:59:58.000 , 00:59:58.000 --> 01:00:02.000 which are nonpartisan organizations that are committed to carrying out the 01:00:02.000 --> 01:00:06.000 campaign's goals. Anyone who is on the call is welcome to 01:00:06.000 --> 01:00:11.000 become in our homes or votes affiliate. We have a listserv for affiliates 01:00:11.000 --> 01:00:14.000 where we share announcements and opportunities around nonpartisan voter 01:00:14.000 --> 01:00:19.000 engagement. We have regular 01:00:19.000 --> 01:00:23.000 affiliate office hours and enhanced access to Our Homes, Our Votes 01:00:23.000 --> 01:00:26.000 resources. We shared the link to become an 01:00:26.000 --> 01:00:32.000 affiliate as well. Without a, I am going to pause is there. 01:00:32.000 --> 01:00:39.000 Thank you all so much for joining today. Thank you to our 01:00:39.000 --> 01:00:43.000 wonderful panelists, for all the information you provided and we will 01:00:43.000 --> 01:00:49.000 have our slides and links and notes up on our website and sent out in our 01:00:49.000 --> 01:00:52.000 Friday news laid--sletter later this week. Thank you all. 01:00:52.000 --> 01:00:53.000 Live captioning by AI-Media (end of we