Poll Position

Mel: Welcome to The Resist bot
Podcast, hosted by me, Melanie Dione. Join me this week and every week
as I chat with the advocates and activists in your neighborhood at the
intersection where policy meets people. Now let's start the show.

Melanie: Welcome, my friends.

I am your host, Melanie Dione.

This is the Resist Bot podcast,
and the midterms are here.

You've registered, you've prepared,
you've been screaming on social media.

You have been poking your eyes out,
watching the news, and you've even done

your vote drive, which you have right?

If you haven't, you can just
text drive to 5 0 4 0 9.

Let people know about the candidate
who is closest to your values.

You don't have to marry them,
but if they're closest to your

values, maybe you can use that and
talk some people off the fence.

So what do we have going on?

We have armed vigilantes, which makes
me feel like I was talking about

news from a comic book who were in
Arizona near drop boxes in body armor.

And the League of Women, the League
of Women Voters of Arizona, they

actually had to file suit against
Melody Jennings and Clean Elections

USA and make sure that they are not
intimidating people from voting.

So that means all the people who wanna
suppress your vote have gone home

and it's fine and we're done or not.

So whether you have voted already
or if you're gonna show up on

election, You need to know how
to be ready at the actual polls.

Mm-hmm.

so.

I like to bring people who are
just a little bit smarter than

me and know exactly what they're
doing and talking about when it

comes down to the topic at hand.

And that brings me to my
dear friend and friend of the

show, Ría Thompson Washington.

Welcome back, Ría.

Ría Thompson-Washington:
Hey, how y'all doing?

Nice to be here.

Thank you.

Melanie: So glad to have you as always.

So for those who don't know, will you
let our audience know a little bit

about who you are and what you do?

Ría Thompson-Washington: Yeah, sure.

So I am an organizer.

In the short.

I have been organizing for over
20 years now, and, in the last

10 years I've focused most,
mostly on electoral campaigns.

And that's not so much candidate,
related, but more issue related and

making sure that folks have access
to, the polls and being able to

vote safely and freely and fairly.

and so I was at the Lawyers Committee
for Civil Rights under Law in their

voting rights project where I was
a senior organizer and I helped you

know, states and civic engagement
organizations create voting programs.

And then, I left there and went to
C P D and created a voter guardian

program for their affiliates that
helped teach folks to not only.

do the poll monitoring and, and
the regular things that you see.

People be able to ask questions and
direct folks to their correct polling

location, but also, um, step in as
interveners when we see harm happening.

Being those who are able to record.

, creates like notes for posterity in
the event that there is any litigation

that occurs from intimidation or
harms that, occur at the polls.

And then asking people like literally
to, and teaching them how to, step in

and interrupt violence and interrupt
harm and protect people, and, make

sure that everybody has the opportunity
to cast their ballot in whatever,

without the conditions being harmful.

Melanie: Thanks so much, Ria, and I'm
glad you mentioned violence because

I wanna key in on that a little bit.

Of course, we had this very, in
your face, example of armed people

in body armor near Dropboxes.

Very obvious, very obvious violence.

But I wanted to talk a little bit and
ask you to speak to some of the more,

Passive forms of violent suppression
that people may encounter at the polls.

Especially, we're gonna be dealing
with a lot of people who either

haven't voted in a really long time.

Mm-hmm.

or maybe first time voters
and experiencing those things.

The light bulb may go off in their head
where it's, I dunno if that's right,

but they don't know what to do about it.

Yeah.

So I wanna talk first.

About, what your rights are when you
get there and what you are entitled to.

So can you let people know, like just
kind of the basics, what you should

expect when you show up to vote?

Sure.

Ría Thompson-Washington: when you show
up to the polling location, you should

expect that there's nobody who's going to.

intimidating you on your way into the
polling location from the parking lot.

There oftentimes folks will see that
there may be like a police officer

stationed at a polling location,
but that's actually not the comfort

that most folks think it is.

It can actually be a deterrent
to some communities and, um,

populations that actually don't
have really great relationships

with police or have adverse adverse.

Like relationships with police
and feel fear around them, right?

And so, there's that to note.

And then also sometimes there'll be police
who might be like driving through parking

lots you know, running tags to see if
they can find folks who have tickets.

Those kinds of things like are actually
really intimidating factor to folks who

may be first time voters and don't know.

there are places in the
country where there are.

Polling locations inside of.

Police precincts, and those
are obviously, and generally

located in black neighborhoods.

Right?

And we know that they do that
because again, that in itself

is a deterrent to keep people.

It's, it's a form of
passive voter suppression.

So those are the things to be aware of.

But also when you approach, when you
go into a voting location, . there

are people who have been working at
the polls and running the, making sure

the polls and they've been trained.

And oftentimes those are the folks
who have the highest knowledge, but

sometimes they can misapply the,
the information that they receive.

And often, you know, like Mike, turn
someone, somebody away because they're.

Clear on a new rule or the new law.

like whenever you are being like
turned away or told that you can't vote

somewhere, insist on voting and if nothing
else, casting a provisional ballot.

Because what'll often happen is
that when you cast a provisional

ballot, in order for that to.

make it count.

There are ways that you can
cure that ballot afterwards.

That is if the, you need to provide
some information or you need to

show that you live where you live
or whatever it is, identification or

however, whatever that they require.

You can cure your ballot so that it can
still count and it can still matter.

And that happens after
you cast your ballot.

And it's usually, in states where
they have those types of, remedies, it

can be, you know, usually within the
first five days after the election.

and so that, that is to say, don't let
someone tell you that you can't vote.

Now some of these, Election judges have
been again there for a very long time.

They think they know the law.

and if you encounter someone like
that, then you should use the 8

66 hour vote, which is an election
protection hotline that, you know,

folks all over the country use.

It's.

Staffed, constantly during election
hours and during election season.

And you can call and let them
know what location you're at.

Let them know what happened
and how you were harmed.

And they'll either get
a, poll monitor there.

To address that or get somebody
who can show up to help you.

The other thing is that there are tons
of programs now because of the rise in

violence at the polling locations in the
last, five or six years because of that,

the rise of violence, there are so many
community groups who are creating and

training like Dees escalators and violence
interrupters to be present and be there.

physical body people who can help.

If somebody is yelling at you or,
or trying to be threatening to you

when you're casting your, ballot.

Those, that's all illegal activity.

Like that is not allowed to happen.

And if the election judge is allowing
those kinds of people to be outside of the

polling location and, you know, allowing
that harm to happen then also like, Those

are, that's a time when you would let
8 66 hour vote, know what's happening.

And in that case, they might have to,
call, like file an injunction with the

state to get, people removed from that.

And that, that happens on election day.

And oftentimes there's many lawyers
who are working behind the scenes to

get that work done really quickly.

And then the other thing that I
recommend is that we remember that.

We're all a part of
this, you know, society.

We're part of this grand's community.

And despite what we may agree or disagree
on, we should like at least value, um,

the other person's humanity enough to
where if you see someone who is being

harmed or someone is being targeted,
and it's not putting you yourself in a

form of danger to be in solidarity with
that person, ask them, you know, ask

the person who's being harmed, Are you?

Do you need help?

And if they say that they
do, ask them like be in com.

In com.

Communication with them about
what kind of help do they need.

Maybe they just want somebody to
stand with them as they walk and

endure whatever other persons have.

Maybe they want, someone to like notify,
the election judge or whatever it may be.

Or maybe.

A circle of people surrounding someone
and kind of like using that solidarity

method as a way to tamp down the hate or
anger that they might be experiencing.

like.

that's what we teach, right?

It's, it's a form of, mutual aid.

It's a form of like
protecting us as a community.

And so I think that, like really
that's what it boils down to

is us, us remembering that
you have the right to vote.

, you should not have to be
paying any fees to vote.

You should not.

There's no one who should be
telling you you can't vote.

if it's too, arduous on you to go
to another polling location, cast a

provisional ballot where you are insist
on casting a provisional ballot and

then making sure that it goes through,
and they should give you a, a piece

of paper saying this is where you can
follow up on your provisional ballot.

Yeah, it's gonna take us
stepping up as a community.

Melanie: And this goes just to
reiterate, this also goes for people

who, when they show up, they are told
their name isn't on the list, Correct?

Mm-hmm.

.
Ría Thompson-Washington: Yes, Absolutely.

Melanie: So I have a question.

Sure.

When, again, we've got first
timers who will be coming, what is.

What I would call a rookie mistake
that you see most often, that you

like to caution people against.

Ría Thompson-Washington: Yeah.

So sometimes you, you register to vote,
like if you get your driver's license

in whatever state you may live in, and
you get your voter registration card

and you go to the polling location
thinking that that's all you need

to be able to prove your identity.

And I think that that is a misnomer
that you can use your voter registration

card in itself and a loan to.

What you need is some
form of ID in most states.

That is a picture id.

Depending on the state.

Um, it can be varying, types.

It can be a college id.

military ID is always accepted.

A state ID of any kind
is usually accepted.

But the voter identification
card, like your voter

registration card is oftentimes.

Actually what you're gonna use to vote.

And so I always tell people like, when
you go vote, make sure you have a picture

ID and make sure you have a utility bill
because those two things are always going

to be be able to prove that you have
residency in a place and you're able to

register to vote for that area again, and
then insist if somebody tells you that you

can't vote because you're not registered
or your name isn't on the polls.

Ask for a provisional ballot if they
say no, you can't have one demand,

a provisional ballot and let them
know that it is your right as a

voter to be able to cast a ballot.

And they can't keep you from that.

If they don't wanna do that, call 8,
6, 6 hour vote and have somebody, have

one of the attorneys, reach out to the
board of supervisors or the county board

of, elections, to make sure that the
folks who are trained and running our

polling, locations and polling sites.

Actually are the folks who are
you know, enforcing the rules.

And I've had to do that many a time.

I've had to, like, I've seen people
when I've been poll monitoring coming

out saying, Oh man, I didn't get to
get, you know, I didn't get to vote.

And I'm asking them like,
Why didn't you vote?

Oh, they told me I wasn't registered.

Okay, well let's go back in and have
a conversation and reach out to those

poll monitors when you see them.

If you need help.

That's why they're there.

They're there because they know
enough about the law in your area.

That they can step in and
intercede on your behalf.

So don't walk away from
a polling location.

Don't let someone tell you,
Oh, you can't vote here.

You have to go all the
way across the county.

No insist on casting a ballot and the
polling location that is closest to your

home, that is most convenient for you to
vote and bring your documentation so that

you can show I live around the corner.

Why would I drive all the way across town?

And in most states and jurisdictions
at this point, you know, you're able to

do that, if you're registered to vote.

And that's important.

Know the deadlines about when you're
able to register to vote because most

states, don't have same day registration.

I happen to live in the
District of Columbia where you.

Register in the same day to vote,
but oftentimes there are deadlines,

like often 30 days out or 21
days out before the election.

And so it's important when we're
building our voting plans that we

know what date is the last day to vote
and the last day to register to vote.

And if you're not able to register at
the polls, then you need to go ahead

and register to vote so that the next
election that comes up, you're ready

to go and you don't have to wait for.

but we have to continue to like,
make sure that people know at the

minimum that you should not leave
your polling location period.

When you are trying to cast a
vote, insist on being able to

cast a ballot.

And that also goes for if it is after the
time, if it's eight o'clock, stay in line.

Yeah, absolutely.

If your polling location closes at 8:00 PM
on election day, and you're still in line,

you stay in line until you cast your vote.

Because legally by law you have
the right, once you are in line at

the time of the polling location to
close, to be able to cast your vote.

I've seen places, in the south, I don't
wanna shout their names out, but when I

was in Alabama, it was literally like,
I was arguing with an election judge

because it was seven, 55, and they were
trying to start closing the elections.

They were trying to close the
polling location and in the time it

took me for the, for me to continue
arguing with them, which meant they

had to keep it open because they
were distracted by our argument.

They also called the police on me, and
the police did nothing but validate

what I said, which is that the polling
location had to be open until the doors.

And so then they were, you know,
then it was time for us to go anyway.

So it was like, thanks so
much for working with us.

Have a great day.

,
since you brought up the states that
like to, uh, dabble in the suppression.

Suppression mm-hmm.

, can we have this conversation
without talking about Georgia?

Georgia has some very strict
laws about, they've done a lot.

Narrow the opportunity to vote.

Mm-hmm.

narrow the locations and also
things like handing out water.

Mm-hmm.

. So when you think about things like
that where you're, you're kind of not

even able to accept basic kindness.

Mm-hmm.

, what is your recommendation?

Not only you are in the
polls, while you're voting

recommendation, but what is your.

recommendation for just
being prepared for mm-hmm.

a long wait.

How would you what do you think
are some of the best practices

when you know you're voting in an
area where the lines are gonna be

long?

Yeah, like, I always encourage folks
to early vote because oftentimes early

voting, you can get in, you can get out.

But if you're not able to vote early
and you have to vote on election day,

and you know there are gonna be long.

Bring somebody with you, you need a buddy
so that if one of y'all have to go to the

bathroom, somebody can, you know, hold the
place, whatever the things are, because

you're not gonna be able to have, water.

If the line looks like it's
more than an hour long, try

to have a water bottle on you.

try to be prepared to wait, and stand
up or even maybe, Look, I've seen people

bring chairs and sit down to hold their
line and because they're letting you

know, I'm not going, I'm not, you know,
I'm not going anywhere where I almost

had a dream girls moment in my head,
but they're very, It's giving Jennifer

Hudson, okay, No, no, no, no, no.

So you have to stay, right?

You stay and you do what
you have to do to vote.

But the other thing is, is that
like Georgia is literally like the

voter suppression playbook was.

it was a pamphlet before
Georgia 2021, right?

Immediately, the backlash to the
success of all of the work of the

organizers on the ground in Georgia
in 2020 and early 2021 led to the

Georgia legislature immediately.

outlying things like passing out
water and snacks and like as somebody

who was there in 2020 and passed
out water and snacks to people.

The purpose of that was not to, to
encourage them to vote for the candidates

that you know were a particular candidate.

Either way, it was to make sure
that anybody who stood in line.

and the sun got some water
and that they didn't pass out.

It was to make sure that folks were,
comfortable and safe and that they saw

the utility in staying in line instead
of getting, You know what, I'm hungry,

I'm thirsty, I have to do whatever.

I'm gonna go ahead and leave and I'll
come back later cuz coming back later.

almost never happens.

And, and oftentimes the lines
get longer as it gets later.

but the point is that, you really
want folks like Georgia and then

after they became the, like the
official playbook for how to suppress.

F like 14 other states
followed immediately.

And so in right now, we're literally
in the most like one of the most

oppressive times of people just
trying to cast their ballot.

But what I've seen about voters and
people who intend to vote and wanna

participate in the system is the moment
that you try to suppress their vote.

Oh, we show up baby.

It's like, Oh, you don't want
me to vote lines hours long.

But there's other pieces of suppression
that we don't think of, like.

in Georgia in 2020.

One of the things that I learned was
that the, one of the reasons that

mines were so long is because the Board
of Elections is in the same place.

All of the servers, all of the
computers are in the same building,

and all of the staff and people who
work in the, you know, Secretary of

State's office are on the same servers.

So while people are trying to process
their votes on these servers in the

office, that people are also using
to do, There was a lag in time.

And so like that is another
thing that causes those lines.

The lines isn't always just because
people, so many people are trying to vote.

It's because the systems are literally
set up not to work in a way that makes

sense, not to work in a way that allows
people to be able to utilize the process.

So what you're really waiting on
is for your vote to go through.

You're really waiting
on the system to work.

You're waiting on the computer
just to come back up, and that is.

Why are, why do we do that?

It's 2022.

Like we live in a whole world where
cars can, reverse park for you and

you're gonna tell me that you can't
have servers in a building somewhere.

I almost went on a tangent cuz I was
like, they're all on Amazon servers

anyway, but we're not going day to day

I'm just saying.

Okay.

I'm just saying that you
know the ways in which.

Suppressing people's like right to
vote happen is so, so subversive

and they are so, so expansive.

It like things you wouldn't even think of.

It's wild.

Melanie: So I like to talk.

You're absolutely right.

And I wanna talk a bit about the
suppressive value of misinformation.

Mm mm.

In your experience mm-hmm.

, how much of a factor?

Because that's a big deal.

Now we've got, we of course, learned
about the Russian hacking in 2016.

everyone is chomping at the
bit to see what Elon Musk

is going to do with Twitter.

So we, So misinformation is
on everybody's mind, right?

The actual, Can you talk a bit about the
actual suppressive value of misinformation

and what can be done to combat that?

Like how, how to counteract that?

You

Ría Thompson-Washington: know, I often
think that the best thing that can

counteract a lie is the truth, right?

Except in this age of misinformation,
we a lie multiplies so quickly

and literally and things, Some
of it sounds like so believable.

You gotta check your facts,
like, No, wait a minute.

Based on what I know

Melanie: is that.

Right.

Ría Thompson-Washington: Uh, it could get
you if you're not paying attention, but

the thing is that there's so many news
sources, there's so many fact checkers.

I miss the days when Twitter used
to have that little fact checker

under some news that would say, Hey,
this is misinformation or whatever.

And really the media, has
kind of failed us in this way.

Yeah, because a lot of the
information that was coming out,

you know, 20, like 16 and 2020.

Ha.

We had started getting into the
truthfulness of like language and stories.

And so we had those kinds of, things
because lies were running abundantly.

And so, , the way to combat is to like do
your research, I hate to say that because

like on one hand, like you can Google,
a question and get 50 answers, right?

And so like, It's really hard to
sift through, but you have to find

people who you trust like people
in the media who you trust, whose

positions you, trust and do your own
research and say, Does this make sense?

Like, if this makes sense to you and, and.

You know, I don't wanna get into
conspiracy theories because like, again,

I understand why people, want to believe
things that are so outlandish, but at

some point you're making a cognitive
choice to participate in like cult like

behavior by not thinking for yourself.

And so as an educated voter, as
somebody who wants to make the best

decision that is like for your family.

Like this is not just for, it's not
for your immediate, it's for your

family, it's for your community.

All of these people, like we all
depend on us informing ourselves

about what is on the ballot and
making a decision that is best for us.

and that may not always, again, they,
it doesn't mean that we're always gonna

vote the same way, but I mean, you
don't have to be believing that, there.

Huh.

I don't even wanna say any of
them cuz it's just so many.

I don't, I I can't even do it.

It's just like, you don't have to do

Melanie: that.

you would, you would fry your brain.

I think one of the things that we've, I
feel like maybe we've talked about this

and it's been an ongoing conversation,
particularly in the news media, is.

How often they've repeated misinformation
as though they're stenographers.

So when you just, Yes, so there's a
direct quote and you are directly quoting

this person saying something absolutely
egregious, but then there's no follow

up of this is absolutely not true.

Right?

No.

Nowhere.

And so we, we've had to deal
with a lot of that as well.

I know my personal, I have my little
collection of non-profit news, sources

that I go to because like with a lot
of things, when you take the big money

out of it, you tend to get people who
are a little more down to business,

a little more down to brass tacks.

And that's been My take on it, and I
will not go on a tangent about how we

need to take the money outta politics.

I won't listen.

It's right there.

It's right there, but I'm not gonna do it.

Ría Thompson-Washington: I get it.

I'm with you

.
Melanie: But it's so

being informed about the amendment's, or
the new ballet initiatives, whatever your

state, however your state refers to them.

For example, I am in one of
the five lovely states that

are gonna be voting on slavery.

, Louisiana, for all of you folks
who think that backwards ness only

exists in the Scott in the South.

Yeah.

Oregon and Vermont are right up there.

It's Alabama, Louisiana,
Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont.

Right.

So when we're dealing with these,
things that are going to be voted

on beyond being aware of the can.

What do you recommend people do when they
are preparing so that when they go in

there they have a clear picture of what is
being proposed and how they want to vote?

Ría Thompson-Washington: this is
very wild cuz my wife and I literally

went through this this morning.

you know, we both, we live in DC
and, we were talking about an init,

a local initiative, 82 that, ha
the language, the way that it's

written on the ballot initiative
makes you think that if you vote.

No, you're supporting the
restaurant workers, right?

But that's what they that's the
intentional way that a ballot

initiatives and amendments and
things like that are written, right?

Because they don't want plain language.

Because if you write something in
plain language, then somebody might

understand it with their cognitive
mind, make the right decision.

So, uh, that aside.

We were having this exact conversation
because it was just like, well,

now you know, which is it?

Is it vote yes or is it vote No?

And I was like, No, we're voting
yes because we don't want, this

But that's the wild part, right?

Like you have to vote yes to say
no to something instead of, and

vote no to say yes to something.

And all of that is very confusing.

But what we did, We Googled sources we
went to, She Googled, she pulled up some

folks, I pulled up some folks I went to,
some black organizers whose opinions and

things that I trust in the city about.

These types of things.

I checked on what they were saying.

I looked at, you know, the restaurant
opportunities collaborative and

saw what their position was.

I went and did my research.

My wife did research as well and
came up with us like, Oh no, I

think we should have voted this way.

Like it was like, Wait.

So we sat down and we literally just
parsed through the information together

to make sure that the decision that
we were making was the right one.

And when she had posted, um, you know,
on her social media about voting yes

for this particular initiative, somebody
immediately was in her inbox, like, Why

didn't you vote no and da, da da da.

And it was like, no matter what everyone.

Opinions everyone has.

That's the whole point of this process.

That's why it's beautiful.

Like you literally get to find, you
can go find, it's a book report.

Go find out what you want.

To like, what moves you and vote on it.

That's, it's like a participatory process
that where somebody actually cares what

you say and your vote has that much power.

But you, if you don't, if you don't
find, you, don't take the time to find

out what your opinion is or let other
people, you know, lead you without

having any of your own analysis.

Well, then I don't know, maybe you
might as well not be voting cuz

you're not, you're like skewing
the system a little, you know?

I think that we should all
take the opportunity to inform

ourselves, be an informed voter.

Because if, and nothing else, if it's
not about like the people who are,

running at the top of the ticket.

It's about ballot initiatives
that are going to directly impact

your lives, like immediately.

Oftentimes, Right?

And so those things like,
let's say, just take all of the

candidates out of it, out of it.

Vote for the initiatives that are
gonna change your life, that are gonna

impact your life on the daily basis.

And if you just do that, that's enough.

Melanie: And that's the thing.

I don't, I think I, I appreciate you
bringing that up because we are in.

Society where everybody hates everybody.

Nobody is a great enough candidate.

Nobody is getting the job done.

Nobody is gonna do whatever you want.

Okay, that's fine.

So are people aware that you
can vote on the things that are.

Focused on you.

Can you speak a little bit to that
for people who are and, and obviously

ideally everybody should be, having
their input on everything, but for people

who are struggling with that mm-hmm.

, can you speak a little bit
to what that motivator might

be and how that, how things.

this is, uh, gonna be amendment
number seven in Louisiana.

how, how, being aware of not
bringing back slavery is important.

Can you talk a little bit about that for
people who are turned off on candidates?

Ría Thompson-Washington: Yeah.

And, and I think that's the thing is
that because we see so many commercials,

like we are inundated across our, our
visual and like auditory spectrums

with commercials about people, right?

And oftentimes those people
will espouse whatever their

beliefs are and that's great.

They may or may not do that,
but the important pieces.

in every ballot are the pe are the
parts that are gonna affect, how is

money being spent in your community?

Right?

Your tax money, what is that going
to, Are they building more libraries?

Are there, is there more green space?

And if you don't have those types of
ballot initiatives on your on your ballot

when you go to vote, then that means
you can be organizing your, like you

can be organizing to get those things.

, as referendum so that people
have the opportunity to put input

about what your community looks
like and what resources it has.

I think that, again, because we get
caught up in it, it becomes a, like you

versus them, us versus them who are,
who are the people that we're voting?

Don't spend your time, doing that.

Spend your time and that honestly
was how like, I, I was able to

organize my wife right to vote
because she was like, I'm done.

I'm pathetic.

Like I've been working in elections and
voting for over 10 years and this year

was the first year that my wife was
like, I'm not doing it, I'm not voting.

And I said, Okay, fine.

Sure.

Like, don't vote and
like, you know, whatever.

And then I was just like,
But what about the refer?

What about the initiative abc?

Like, what about the people that
are gonna be affected by that?

She was like, damn, I
guess, yeah, I gotta vote.

Like, Oh, okay, let me go.

Let me just go vote for that.

And that was the one thing.

That got her up and outta
here at eight 30 this morning.

Okay.

So it doesn't have to be
about a particular candidate.

I didn't care for any of the candidates,
but what I did wanna make sure that I cast

my ballot on was knowing that I supported
the restaurant workers, employees

here in the city of the district.

So both how you want to and for what you

Melanie: want.

thank you so much, Ria.

I appreciate you as always.

Before we go, can you leave
folks with what you want them

to remember going into Tuesday?

Yeah.

The

Ría Thompson-Washington: most important
part about Tuesday is that it is

your opportunity to use your voice.

, it is your opportunity to make a
decision about what happens and what

happens in your community and the
people who are gonna be leading that.

and so on election day
don't get outta line.

Try to go early, and
get it out of the way.

if you can, if you are, are still
in early voting in some places, go

ahead and vote early now so that you
don't have to wait till election day.

But stay in line.

And if anybody tries to harass you,
anybody tries to intimidate you or keep

you from voting, don't let that happen.

Let someone know, let a poll
monitor know, let an election

judge know if you're by yourself.

Call 8, 6, 6 hour vote and let them know
so they can send somebody to help you.

You are not alone out there,
and the information is there

to help you and support you.

And so ask somebody for help.

Don't do it alone because
you don't have to.

Melanie: Thanks so much.

And can you let the
people know where to find?

and your work?

Yes.

Ría Thompson-Washington: So I am
the digital organizing director

for the Redress movement.

We are looking to build a society in
which racial segregation no longer

occurs in, in residential housing.

And so, you can follow me at
the redress movement but you

can also find me on the Twitter.

I don't know for how much
longer though, if I'm honest.

But you can follow me on Twitter at Mrs.

Wnd, C M R S D U B Y A I N D C.

And that's will probably lead you
to anything else that you need

to know, but that's where I'm at.

Melanie: Thank you so much again
R and thank you for joining.

I know you're gonna be out there Tuesday
if you have not been out already.

And so I wanna leave you with a
couple of ways that Resist Bot

can help you secure your vote.

So first of all, if you've already voted
by mail text track to 5 0 4 0 9 and

that will help you track your ballot
if you wanna know where you have to.

Polls, P O L L S, Text polls to 5,409,
and you will find your polling place.

And lastly, but not leastly.

We have the amazing drive function that
y'all have been using, blowing it up.

I appreciate it.

Where you can promote those candidates
that reflect your values, not only those

in your area, but if you see someone,
because this when we are dealing with.

National issues.

When you see someone who is trying to be
a congressman, trying to be a senator, and

maybe they're not in your area, but you
know that this is someone who can be an

ally to your senator, your representative,
you can drive support for them as well.

Just text drive to 5 0 4 0 9,
select the state, select the

candidate, and push it out there.

I again, am your host, Melanie Dione.

I wanna thank you so much for joining.

If you wanna support Resist Bot, if
you like the podcast, if you like me

and you want to know how to support,
you can text Donate to 5 0 4 0 9 or go

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We survive with folks like
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So until next time, Take Care.

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