OF HOW THE NEXT TWO TO SIX YEARS
WILL LOOK LIKE.
THANK YOU FOR STARTING US OFF
THIS HOUR FROM MACON, GEORGIA.
>>> TURN OFF IN GEORGIA HAS HIT
RECORD HIGHS DESPITE WHAT
ACTIVISTS SAY HAS BEEN UPHILL
BATTLE WITH POLLING SITES CLOSED
AND HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS
PURGED FROM THEIR VOTING ROLES
AND LAWSUITS DISCOUNTING
ABSENTEE BALLOTS BEFORE THEY’RE
COUNTED.
LET’S BE JOINED BY GEORGIA STATE
DISTRICT IN ATLANTA
REPRESENTATIVE AND FILMMAKER
OF THE FILM
"ALL IN, THE FIGHT FOR
DEMOCRACY" TO SCAMIN -- IT
EXAMINES THE HISTORY OF VOTER
SUPPRESSION.
TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN .
TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN
IN TERMS OF VOTER SUPPRESSION,
IF YOU HAVE SEEN ANYTHING THAT
IS OBVIOUSLY VOTER SUPPRESSION,
ONE PERSON’S VOTER SUPPRESSION
COULD BE ANOTHER’S VOTER
PROTECTION.
HAVE YOU SEEN ANYTHING THAT
COULDN’T BE ANYTHING BUT VOTER
SUPPRESSION.
>> LOOK, GEORGIA HAS A HISTORY
OF VOTER SUPPRESSION, WE’RE SEEN
THAT
THE U.S. SECRETARY STATE -- SD
HAS SAID.
SO AS ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE
STATE OF GEORGIA WE KNOW
IT’S AN UPHILL BATTLE TO MAKE
SURE EVERY VOTE IS COUNTED.
RECENTLY A MEMO SENT OUT
THREATENING PEOPLE TO CHARGE
THEM WITH A FELONY IF THEY’RE
OUTLINE WARMING, GIVING FOOD,
UMBRELLAS, WATER TO VOTERS WHO
ARE WAITING IN LINE.
WE’VE SEEN POLLING LOCATIONS
CLOSED, THAT WERE OPEN DURING
THE GENERAL ELECTION, AND CLOSED
FOR THE RUNOFF ELECTION. THAT OF CHOREOGRAPHERS
THAT OF CHOREOGRAPHERSCHOREOGRAP
THAT OF CHOREOGRAPHERSCHOREOGRAP THATHERS OF COURSEE WILL LEAD UP
THATHERS OF COURSEE WILL LEAD UP
TWO LONG LINES.
IN
IN INCOBB
IN
IN INCOBB
IN COBB COUNTY, LINES WERE UP TO
FOUR HOURS AND SECRETARY OF
STATE INSTEAD OF MAKING SURE
EVERY VOTE CAN VOTE WITH
CONFIDENCE AND SAFETY HE IS NOW
ISSUING A MEMO TO PUT
PEOPLE IN POSITION THEY CAN’T
SUPPORT AND THAT’S VOTER
SUPPRESSION.
WE CONTINUE TO SEE IT FROM
GEORGIA REPUBLICANS AND FROM
SECRETARY OF STATE TO THREATEN
VOTER SUPPRESSION TO DO THINGS
LIKE MAKE IT HARDER TO VOTE
MAIL-IN BALLOT WITHOUT EVIDENCE
OF FRAUD.
IT IS HAPPENING IN THE STATE OF
GEORGIA, IT IS VOTER SUPPRESSION
AND VOTER INTIMIDATION, TO MAKE
SURE VOTERS CAN’T CAST BALLOTS
EASILY.
>> ANY STORIES IN PARTICULAR
THAT STAND OUT TO YOU FROM
VOTERS IN THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH
VOTER SUPPRESSION.
>> WELL, WHAT LISA COURTES AND I
DID IN THE FILM" ALL IN, FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY" WITH THE PRODUCER
FOR DEMOCRACY" WITH THE PRODUCER
STACEY ABERAMS AND
WE LOOK AT
AT
--
ACTIVISTS IN GEORGIA HAVE DONE
EXTRAORDINARY WORK USING THE
COURTS AND GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM
TO TURN THE TIDE BECAUSE AS
STACEYABRAMS SAID VOTER TURN OUT
IS THE BEST ANT DON’T TO VOTER
SUPPRESSION.
SO PEOPLE ARE TURNING OUT.
THAT’S ENCOURAGING IN THE 18 TO
29-YEAR-OLD GROUP.
>> WHAT DO YOU HEAR IN TERMS OF
MOBILIZING VOTERS TO GET OVER
PEOPLE’S CONCERNS AND MISGIVINGS
AND CYNICISM OVER WHETHER THEIR
VOTE WILL COUNT.
WHAT IS BEING DONE TO CONVINCE
PEOPLE TO STAY INVOLVED IN THE
PROCESS?
>> WELL THERE’S SUCH TREMENDOUS
MESSAGING THAT HAPPENED DURING
THE GENERAL ELECTION
OF FINDING OUT IF YOU’RE
REGISTERED, KNOWING WHERE YOUR
POLLING LOCATION IS, YOU KNOW.
IT BECAME LIKE A MANTRA.
I THINK THAT’S BEEN A VERY
EFFECTIVE TOOL BY ALL OF THE
ORGANIZATIONS ON THE GROUND IN
GEORGIA, ENSURING THAT PEOPLE
KNOW THIS IS AN IMPORTANT RIGHT,
AN IMPORTANT ELECTION, AND ALL
OF THE THINGS YOU DID IN THE
GENERAL ELECTION YOU NEED TO DO
AGAIN.
YOU GET IN LINE, YOU STAY IN
LINE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A
GREAT TRADITION OF BLACK FOLKS
ORGANIZING IN THE SOUTH WITH THE
TRITE VOTE AND ALL OF THOSE
YEARS BY ORGANIZATIONS ON THE
GROUND AND THE HISTORICAL
PRECEDENCE ARE COMING TOGETHER
IN THIS MOMENT.
>> STATE REPRESENTATIVE, WHEN
YOU TOOK IT UPON YOURSELF TO
KNOCK DOWN THIS CLAIM THAT CAME
UP DURING THE ELECTION THAT
THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF
FRAUDULENT VOTES WERE CAST, BY
GETTING ON THE PHONE AND CALLING
SOME VOTERS UP YOURSELF, WHAT
DID YOU LEARN FROM THAT?
WHAT DID THAT SHOW YOU?
>> FIRST OF ALL, I MEAN, THE
LIST THAT’S BEEN PUT TOGETHER BY
THE CAMPAIGN AND ATTORNEYS IS
CLEARLY FAULTY.
THE NAMES ON THE LIST ARE
THOUSANDS OF GEORGIANS WHO LIVE
IN THIS STATE WHO HAVE CAST A
LEGAL BALLOT AND THEY MADE NO
EFFORT TO CONTACT THESE VOTERS
TO ENSURE THEY USE ANY KIND OF
UNIQUE IDENTIFIER TO MAKE SURE
IT’S NOT AN INSTANCE OF DOUBLE
VOTING OR A PERSON WHO MOVED
AWAY FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA.
I USED THE TOOLS THAT WERE AT MY
DISPOSAL.
THE SAME TOOLS THE ATTORNEYS
HAVE TO ENSURE WE’RE NOT
ACCUSING GEORGIANS OF COMMITTING
A FELONY.
NOT CONTACTING THE VOTERS DOES
NOT SIT WELL WITH ME.
IF YOU’RE GOING TO ACCUSE
SOMEONE OF COMMITTING A FELONY
AND ATTACKING THEIR NAME WITHOUT
PUBLIC FILING THE LEAST YOU CAN
DO IS DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND
CONTACT VOTERS IN THE STATE OF
GEORGIA.
I WENT TO SOMEONE WHO WAS ON THE
LIST LISTED IN THE STATE OF
GEORGIA AND STATE OF VIRGINIA
AND WHEN I TOLD HER HER NAME WAS
ON THIS LAWSUIT SHE 4 NO IDEA,
14E NEVER EVEN --
ON THIS LAWSUIT, SHE HAD NO
IDEA, SHE NEVER VISITED THERE,
AND LIVED IN GEORGIA 30 YEARS.
SO THEY CONTINUE TO THROW
GEORGIANS UNDER THE BUS, AND WHO
EARNED THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE AND
WHO HAVE NO IDEA THEY’RE BEING
ACCUSED OF COMMITTING A CRIME.
>> I WOULD LOVE TO GET YOUR
REACTION TO SOMETHING WE HEARD
FROM PASTOR OF A BAPTIST CHURCH
IN ATLANTA, ONE OF THE DEMOCRATS
WHO IS IN THE RUN OFF THAT WILL
TAKE PLACE ON TUESDAY, HE WAS ON
EARLIER TODAY ON "THE CROSS
CONNECTION" HERE’S PART OF WHAT
HE SAID THAT I’D LIKE YOUR
REACTION TO.
>> I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
VOTER SUPPRESSION.
I HAVE WORKED TO REGISTER
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF NEW
VOTERS IN THIS STATE.
I HAVE TAKEN ON FOR YEARS
THE WAYS IN WHICH --
>> MY RIGHT --
>> -- INTENDED TO DIMINISH
CERTAIN PART OF THE ELECTORATE.
WAY TO RESPOND IS TO SHOW UP.
CAN’T STRESS THAT ENOUGH.
WE NEED FOLKS TO SHOEPW UP ON
TUESDAY.
>> HE SAID THE RESPONSE IS FOR
PEOPLE TO SHOW UP.
I WONDER HOW MUCH FROMMIER
PERSPECTIVE YOU SEE THE COUNTER
ARGUMENT THAT GEORGIA IS
GEORGIA, THIS IS THE WAY IT’S
GOING TO BE, YOU CAN SHOW UP
HOWEVER YOU WANT BUT THOSE,
INSERT TERM HERE, ARE NEVER
GOING TO LET PEOPLE WHO LOOK
LIKE THEM OR THINK LIKE THEM
RISE POLITICALLY IN ANYWAY
WITHOUT A KNOCK DOWN DRAG DOWN
SHOW UP IF YOU WANT BUT GOOD
LUCK WITHOUT GETTING YOUR KNEES
SKINNED AND LIP BUSTED.
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
>> SURE THAT’S THE HISTORY, THEY
HAD EXAMPLES OF WHITE VIOLENCE
AGAINST BLACK VOTERS THROUGHOUT
OUR HISTORY BUT INCREDIBLE WORK
IN LAST TEN YEARS WITH GEORGIA
PROJECT, AND FAIR FIGHT AND
BLACK VOTERS MEATER AND --
MATTER AND MANY GOING DOOR TO
DOOR TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THEY
HAVE A STAKE IN THE SYSTEM AND
THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO VOTE FOR.
THAT’S WHAT STACEY ABRAMS GAVE
VOTERS A FEELING OF CONNECTION
AND SOMETHING TO VOTE FOR.
WE’RE SEEING 80,000 VETTERS WHO
DIDN’T -- VOTER WHO’S DIDN’T EVEN
EVEN- VOTER WHO’S DIDN’T
EVEN- VOTER WHO’S DIDN’T EVEN
80 VOTERS HAVE COME OUT
80 VOTERS HAVE COME OUT VOTERS H
80,000
VOTERS HAVE COME OUT WHO DIDN’T
BEFORE.
SO YES, THE FORCES HAVE BEEN
AGAINST US AND THEM
FOR YEARS AND YEARS.
BUT BY PEOPLING SHOWING
UP AND WAITING ARE DOING THE
MOST PATRIOTIC THING AVENUE AMERICAN CAN DO.
AMERICAN CAN DO. DO.