#TalkRadio – October 10: Defending the Power of the Vote: Ohio Early Voting and Supreme Court of the United States’ argument in South Carolina Redistricting Case

SPEAKERS:

Terry O’Neill, Esq,: 12:00 PM – 12:57 PM ET
Current Board Secretary of the Transformative Justice Coalition; former President of the National Organization for Women (NOW); Former Host of the podcast What Equality Looks Like; LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-o-neill-3076303/ 

Rommel Sandino: 12:00 PM – 12:28 PM ET
National Organizing Director for the League of Women Voters of the United States; Former Senior Organizer of Immigration at Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) at Community Change

John Cusick, Esq.: 12:30 PM – 12:57 PM ET
John Cusick serves as an Assistant Counsel at the Legal Defense Fund. In his role, he has been part of litigation teams challenging racially discriminatory voting laws in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas, as well as has worked on LDF’s county-level advocacy efforts to combat voter suppression tactics, including discriminatory cuts to early voting access, mass voter challenges, polling place closures, and voter intimidation and election protection efforts in numerous states. During this post-2020 redistricting cycle, he is part of a litigation team in South Carolina NAACP, et al. v. Alexander, et al., challenging South Carolina’s racially gerrymandered U.S. Congressional map. And he works with local leaders throughout South Carolina to urge local jurisdictions to adopt fair and non-discriminatory redistricting plans that provide Black voters with opportunities to elect candidates of their choice.

INTRODUCTION:

The Igniting Change Radio Show on Tuesday, October 10th, 2023, from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time, entitled, “Defending the Power of the Vote: Ohio Early Voting and Supreme Court of the United States’ argument in South Carolina Redistricting Case”, will be live with Radio Show Co-Hosts and Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) Co-Leaders Attorneys Barbara Arnwine, Esq. and Daryl Jones, Esq. and guests Terry O’Neill, Esq.; Rommel Sandino; and, John Cusick, Esq. The focus of the show is going to be on “Defending the Power of the Vote: Ohio Early Voting and Supreme Court of the United States’ Argument in South Carolina Redistricting Case”. Igniting Change is blessed to have three special guests who are experts on community organizing for early voting in Ohio, Ohio ballot issue # 1 on reproductive rights, and the upcoming Supreme Court argument in the Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP case. 

In Ohio, the last day to register to vote for the November 2023 general election is October 10th. Early voting begins on October 11th. On the ballot this November is reproductive rights. As Ballotpedia summarizes,

“Issue 1 would establish a state constitutional right to ‘make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions,’ including decisions about abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and continuing pregnancy. It would allow for the state of Ohio to restrict abortion after fetal viability, defined as “the point in a pregnancy when, in the professional judgment of the pregnant patient’s treating physician, the fetus has a significant likelihood of survival outside the uterus with reasonable measures,’ unless an abortion’ is necessary to protect the pregnant patient’s life or health.[1]

“Currently, abortion is legal in Ohio for up to 21 weeks and six days of pregnancy. Another abortion-related law that was signed into law, Senate Bill 23, was designed to ban abortion at around six weeks of pregnancy. However, this law was blocked after the ACLU, ACLU of Ohio, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and law firm WilmerHale filed a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court to prevent SB 23 from going into effect. The lawsuit is still ongoing.[2] The Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights said, ‘with the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and the enactment of Ohio House Bill 258/Senate Bill 23 (aka the ‘heartbeat bill’), it has become painfully clear that women are now losing bodily autonomy, basic human rights, and access to life saving medical care … The decision to perform an abortion should be left solely to a woman and her physician. Doctors are guided by evidence-based medicine and are bound by our commitment to do no harm. The ‘heartbeat bill’ is an intrusion of government on personal autonomy and will directly lead to oppression, illness, and death of countless women.’[3]

“Protect Women Ohio, the campaign opposing Issue 1, said, ‘Using the label ‘reproductive freedom,’ the abortion industry wants to bring taxpayer funded abortion at any time during pregnancy, including beyond the point at which an unborn baby can feel pain, to Ohio. Their proposal would outlaw protections for the most vulnerable and would eliminate basic health and safety regulations in place to protect women.’[4]

“A simple majority vote is required to approve the citizen-initiated constitutional amendment. In August, voters rejected Issue 1, which would have required a 60% vote, among other changes.’”

Below are some more important dates from the Ohio Secretary of State website. These dates listed below, polling hours, and other information can be found here: https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/current-voting-schedule/2023-schedule/ 

2023 GENERAL ELECTION | NOVEMBER 7, 2023

• Military & Overseas Absentee Voting: Begins September 22
• Deadline to Register to Vote: October 10
• Early In-Person Voting: October 11 and includes the Saturday and Sunday before Election Day.
• Absentee Voting By Mail: Begins October 11
• Election Day: November 7 (Polls Open 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.)

IMPORTANT DATES:

SEPTEMBER
September 22: Military and Overseas Absentee Voting begins

OCTOBER
October 10: Deadline to Register to Vote. Boards open until 9:00 p.m.
October 11: Absentee Voting by Mail begins (ends November 6)
October 11: Early In-Person Voting begins
October 31: Absentee ballot applications must be received by your board of elections by 8:30 p.m. 
Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP

See a summary of the case from the Legal Defense Fund who are the lead counsel in this case:

“Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP is a racial-gerrymandering case challenging South Carolina’s congressional and legislative redistricting maps for Congressional District 1. The case challenges the constitutionality of how South Carolina legislators handled the redistricting process after the 2020 census. LDF, the ACLU of South Carolina, and Arnold & Porter challenged the map on behalf of the South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP and an individual voter, Taiwan Scott. 

South Carolina’s Congressional map is racially discriminatory and selectively targets and splits Black communities. The South Carolina Legislature engineered its new map to cut through Black communities to suppress Black voting power. The map dilutes the voting power of Black South Carolinians and denies them a chance to elect congressional members outside of one lone district.

Plaintiffs alleged that when South Carolina’s General Assembly enacted S.865, they deliberately adopted an unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered map in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of Fourteenth Amendment. They alleged that the map intentionally discriminates against Black voters and denies Black voters’ equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect candidates of their choice.

On January 6, 2023, a federal court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, asserting that a district anchored in Charleston County is a “stark racial gerrymander” and ordering South Carolina to redraw its 2021 enacted map. The unanimous three-judge-panel ruled that the Legislature unconstitutionally set out to achieve an artificially-low target Black population in Congressional District 1, which includes Charleston County, in violation of the 14th Amendment. 

The State appealed this verdict, moving the case to the Supreme Court. Oral argument is scheduled for October 11, 2023. The case will be argued by LDF Senior Counsel Leah Aden.”

Read more about the case here and view the source here: https://www.naacpldf.org/case-issue/south-carolina-naacp-v-alexander/

QUESTIONS:

SEGMENT ONE

• Rommel, today is a major landmark for Ohio voters as it is the last day people register to vote for the November 7th, 2023 election. How can Ohioans register to vote today? (They have until 9:00 PM)
• After much anticipation, tomorrow, October 11th, early voting in Ohio starts. Why is it important for people to early vote?
• Rommel, The Ohio Voting Rights Coalition and the League of Women Voters (LWV) have been extremely active. What are the plans of LWV to assist in getting out the vote and voter mobilization?

SEGMENT TWO

• Terri, just this past August, everyone’s eyes were on Ohio as the state legislature tried to sneak an Ohio constitutional amendment that would have imposed a higher threshold to pass citizen ballot initiatives. How did you feel when this measure was soundly defeated by the voters? 
• What is Ohio Issue 1 and why is it so important?
• Where can voters go to get more information on Issue 1?
• How can our listeners help?
• Rommel, What do you think is the most important grassroots organizing that you think needs to happen in order to ensure strong voter protection and engagement in November 2023 and 2024?
• Rommel, What are your final thoughts to our listeners?
• Thank you for all of your hard work, Rommel. How do our listeners get in contact with you?

SEGMENT THREE

• John, welcome to your inaugural appearance on Igniting Change. Please tell our audience about the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF).
• John, on Wednesday, October 11th,  LDF Senior Counsel Leah Aden will argue the Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP before the Supreme Court of the United States. What is this case about? 
• John, why is this case so important?

SEGMENT FOUR
[At the top of segment four, Barbara and Daryl will give a brief reminder about the US Department of Agriculture’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program. The Black farmers fund, from the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program, is being funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. The Inflation Reduction Act contains an assistance fund for farmers who were discriminated against. This fund has $2.2b to cover 75 million applicants and covers anyone who can provide proof that they were discriminated against by the federal government. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is extending the deadline for the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program to January 13, 2024, to give eligible farmers, ranchers and forest landowners more time to apply for assistance. The original deadline was October 31, 2023. In addition to the application deadline change, the deadline to request records from USDA’s Farm Service Agency for use in applications has been extended to Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. The application process was designed so that FSA records are not required, though relevant records may be attached to an application as additional evidence if they are available. To learn more about the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program or receive assistance in English or Spanish, visit www.22007apply.gov, email info@22007apply.gov or contact the national call center at 1-800-721-0970 from 8 a.m. ET to 8 p.m. PT, every day except federal holidays. If you use sign language to communicate, you can use the 711 relay service to call. You may also email or contact the national call center if you have a disability and need another accommodation. Information about the program, resources, recent office openings and local events across the country is also available through a weekly e-newsletter.]

• John, how does is the Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP case different than the Milligan case that was decided last term?
• John, How do people support the work of the NAACP LDF?
• John and Teri, what do you think is the most important grassroots organizing that you think needs to happen in order to ensure strong voter protection and engagement in November 2023 and 2024?
• What are your final thoughts to our listeners?
• Thank you for all of your hard work. How do our listeners get in contact with you?