Despite what had been an increase of 8 million citizens in the eligible population turnout declined by some 5 million voters. Some 33 million eligible voters did not vote. Turnout citizens declined in every state except six, and yes, massachusetts, and all of the new england are states where weve seen that decline. The numb a troubling in certain groups; black, brown, native americans and the poor, but thats where an Organization Called mass vote comes in. It works to register, educate and mobilize voters in underrepresented communities in massachusetts, with an eye on promoting social, and Racial Justice through the ballot. My guest is mass vote clyburn crawford, she grew up in boston, joining her is angel winster, mass votes youth coordinator. She is boston native who recently graduated from Syracuse University where she earned a dual degree in Political Science and policy studies. Welcome, ladies, to higher ground. Thank you for having us. My pleasure, indeed. Tell us, sheryl, what is mass vote, where did it come scene. How and why was it established . Okay, great. Mass vote has been around since 1999. It rose up out of an Organization Called commonwealth compact, mass vote. And came up at the same time. Mass vote is a nonpartisan Voting Rights Issue Advocacy organization, basically we work in communities of color, through mass vote. We have our fair agenda, which is legislation that we advocate for to make voting accessible to everyone. We have a Mobilization Program , our Civic Engagement initiative, our main stay is democracy for nonprofits and underneath that falls cea, Civic Engagement initiative, our boston 500 initiative, which is a joint program were working with the Naacp Boston Branch and Mobilization Programs. But ill let andrea tell you about our third program, which is our young Civic Leaders. Tell us all about it. Young Civic Leaders we have youth actually there 11 months out of the year. They are actually there three times a week for about two hours each day and we hire them full time during the summer and we actually host other youth from different as an organization getting people registered, getting them involved, just civically engaged in general, but with the youth perspective. What is the age range . 14. Well usually 15 to 18 and we actually love that they actually stay throughout their senior year and we actually give a scholarship. Okay. And of course they leave registered to vote. Absolutely. We take pictures of them and we ask them to definitely tell their friends and family tha what brought you to this work . Im going to ask both of you. So i can honestly i was born into this work. So full disclosure, congressman james cl yburn is my uncle. I have several representatives throughout the country. I was doorucanying and happening literature before i even knew what i was doing. And grew up and in 2006 i moved back to boston. My aunt ellen was running for state representative in the area, i was her campaign manager. She won, i became her chief of staff. So what brings me to this work is i really feel like im a voice for the voiceless. Im empowered and i love really helping people to understand the power that they have within themselves to advocate for themselves. Indeed. And you, angel . Well the women in my family are extremely strong. Theyve just empowered me, as sheryl said i feel empowered, my great grandmother was huge in the housing process of just trying to get. Senate rights. Right, absolutely. I miss her very much but she still lives within me so im just inspired to do this work and to serve our engaged. Well we often hear, particularly nowadays with talks of election of underrepresentation of young people, millennials arent engaged, what are some of the challenges youre facing even inspite of the youth council, you are saying in terms of getting them involved engaged and out to vote. Absolutely. So i think that within the conversations. I know thats, weve been visiting schools and getting them registered and it is very exciting but it is difficult to kind of get them to understand the importance of it and to get past the fear, it is like i dont know who to vote for or i dont know what is important or how i do it and having that fear is not enough, it is not a reason to not educate yourself or to get people educated and to get them registered to provide that support that seems to be lacking in many ways. So thats the challenge of like getting past the fear and just saying were here as a resource and were not trying to encourage you to vote either way we just want to support you. Okay. Well our conversation will continue after a musical interlude by a Cappella Group essence. They are performing we are. Morning star rises and sings to the universe who we are . For each child thats born a morning star rises and sings to the university who we are . . For each child thats born a morning star rises and sings to the universe who we are . . We are our grandmothers prayers . We are our grandfathers ancestors . We are the spirit of god . We are mothers of courage . Fathers of time . Daughters of dust . Sons of great visions . Sisters of mercy . Brothers of love . Lovers of life, . Builders of life . Keeps of faith . Makers of peace . . We are our grandmothers prayers . . We are our grandfathers dreamings . . We are the breath of the ancestors . . We are the spirit of god . . We are mothers of courage . . Fathers of time . . Daughters of dust . . Sons of great visions . . Sisters of mercy . . Brothers of love . . Builders of nations . Seekers of truth and keeprs of faith . Makers of peace . Wisdom of ages . . We are our grandmothers prayers . . We are our grandfathers dreamings . . We are the breath of the ancestors . . We are the spirit of god . . For each child thats born a morning star rises and sings to the universe who we are . . For each child thats born a morning star rises and sings to the universe who we are . . . . For each child thats born a morning star rises and sings to the universe who we are . . . . For each child thats born a morning star rises and sings to the universe who we are . . Frosted with chocolate and filled with reeses Peanut Butter buttercream. America runs on dunkin. . Cozy up this fall with dunkins coffee and espresso flavors. Sip salty and sweet with our new salted caramel macchiato or drink in the season with the classic taste of pumpkin. Hi. Were back talking with the organization mass vote and sheryl crawed of and musical coordinator angela winston. Lets get down to the specifics of how easy or how hard it is to register to vote. Now mentioned fear in young people. Any others or what can you say to convince us of easy it is . Aside from that fear it is just not really understanding the process misunderstanding. Voter registration it takes about maybe two minutes, there is only a few questions to answer, in terms of a physical ballot. You could do it onloin. And it is not a long process. You could do it online. And i think also they just dont understand that your vote counts for local, like you have to be engaged in the local process and that politics are local. Tip oneal used to remind us long before. Well charlotte reminds me every day. [laughs] so talk a little more about the process. We hear in the news about voter suppression, so what did you need to be able to register to vote . Do you have to know how many bubbles are in a soap bubble soap or the id issue, what do you need to have with you to register to vote or to register counting bubbles anymore. You know weve moved past that but it is really simply to register to vote you basically fill out the Voter Registration form and question number sixty sevens for your drivers license or the last four digits of your Social Security number. Quite often people do not want to give that information up, they feel like there is some fraud or what have you. Number twentyone city will give you an i. D. Number, but the other part if you do not identify yourself on your form with your drivers license or the last four of your social they have no way to connect to make sure that it is really you so you do have to show an i. D. Or proof of residency the very first time you vote. Other than that, but to ask for a voter i. D. , to ask for an i. D. Is illegal in massachusetts, so we always tell people proof of now take us through, you mentioned a paper form, online registration. How do you do that . Simple, very simple. You can go online to the secretary of states website. You can register online. Basically you need a drivers license or a state issueed i. D. But every form, it will not accept a form unless complete. If its not complete it will allow you to download the form registering to vote online is a simple process. Do i have to declare a Party Affiliation when i register to vote . No, actually you could do no pat party or unenrolled so that will allow you to actually participate in the local elections in the primaries and then and for the general election youre fine as well. Okay. What about early thats that . Were so excited. 2014 patrick signed into legislation that will allow us to do early voting implemented this year in the general election. Early voting goes from october 24th through november 4th. Every city and town is different. Boston is the most progressive. Were really excited, boston of course is the largest city. In all Nine City Council districts. There is a schedule on our website www. Massvote. Org or you can go on the city of boston to find the, forboston, where the early voting polling locations are. Whats exciting about early voting this year is that in boston we will have universal ballots h means you can vote anywhere in boston where there is a polling location open. Your pacific precinct. Exactly. Not during the early voting period. Also we will have epoll books, which means once youre checked off in one location you would not be allowed to vote in any other location, to put anybodys fears aside. You can vote earlsy but not often. [laughs] exactly. Exactly. Here is the deal if you do not vote during the early voting to vote on november 8th in your own polling spot. Okeydokey. Now what about absentee ballots . Glow absentee ballots are available. It is a process. You can download it, send it into the city. They send you back a ballot, you send back the ballot. It is a mailin ballot but you really have to give yourself enough time to make sure that can happen. There is really only three legal absentee ballot; in the military, disabled or youre going to be out of your city or town on election day. Those are the three main reasons why you can do absentee ballot. Now early voting you can download a form and send it in and theyll end you a send you a bal. They have a mailin ballot for early voting as well. Early voting is not absent, its not the same. Time, because im almost positive with absentee ballot you can go to your city or town and fill out your ballot if you go to a polling location on election day and change your mind they take your latest ballot. Okay. Thats my first time hearing that. Now remind us again the deadline for registration to be eligible to vote november 8th. Absolutely. October 19th is the last day. October 19th. October 19th is the last day you can register in order vote for the november 8th election, whether thats early voting or on november 8th. All right. Well continue but first the community calendar, which contains some events of interest for you including an exhibit of americas most photographed person of the 19th century. And another exhibit called more than my religion. Well be right back. Cmon in, pop pop happy birthday i survived a heart attack. Im doing all i can to keep from having another one. And im taking brilinta. For people whove been no more than one hundred milligrams as it affects how well it works. Brilinta helps keep my platelets from sticking together and forming a clot. Brilinta reduced the chance of another heart attack. Or dying from one. It worked better than plavix. Dont stop taking brilinta without talking to your doctor since stopping it too soon increases your risk of clots in your stent, heart attack, stroke, and even death. Brilinta may cause bruising or bleeding more easily, or serious, sometimes fatal bleeding. Dont take brilinta if you have bleeding, like stomach ulcers, a history of bleeding in the brain, ll your doctor about bleeding, new or unexpected shortness of breath, any planned surgery, and all medicines you take. Talk to your doctor about brilinta. Im doing all i can. That includes brilinta. If you cant afford your medication, were talking about Voter Registration and participation with the executive director and cormination of organization mass vote. Weve heard a lot in the news about the governor of virginia and his exfelons. Then the law changes, but no in massachusetts the moment you are out of prison you can register and vote. Okay. Unlike virginia where once you go to prison you lose that right forever. Governor Terry Mccollin said because thats only way you can get those privileges back is if the governor pardons you. So he did an amazing job with that. One of the thins that we do here, because a lot of exfelons do not know that here in massachusetts so i want to say it again. The moment you step out of prison in massachusetts you can register and vote and if youre in prison for a misdemeanor you can vote absentee ballot. We do a card rights, the bill of rights, because there are many things people do not know they can do; for instance, if english is your second language you can take anybody you want into the polling location with you explaining to you, fill out the form for you and feel comfortable during this process. So we try to help people under there are some things that you protection . What about aspects of ensuring there is not intimidation when you go into the polls. Were running a very robust Voter Protection campaign along with common cause in the Lawyers Committee for civil rights. We do this and most of the big elections, but where we have attorneys onsite at a Staging Center where they will be i remember back in 2006 when governor Duval Patrick was running and they ran out of ballots, you know. There are so many different issues that pop up on election day that you need people standing by that can fill questions for you. So having a space where people feel like their concerns are being addressed that day, that moment is really helpful. So were excited about that. Now i noticed on your underway as well, can you summarize some of the major ones, or most important ones you think . So im going to share, pieces two or three were going to work on. Automated Voter Registration, which is awesome. If youre 18, you are a citizen you should automatically be registered to vote, you shouldnt have to go through this process. Were also, of course the total stop gap is edr, election day registration. Okay. But i would love to share with you a piece of legislation were imp l. Ing now along with early voting. Absolutely. So in 2014 a law was actually passed where we have preregistration for 16 and 17 year olds can actually register early, that doesnt mean that they can vote, they have to vote when they are 18 but thats one of the reasons why were partnering with schools all across the city and as far as we can get to were talking about earlier. Im just cure y we talked about online and mail registration, does that mean youll no longer see people at the super market, on the tables, registering people to vote or at the mall, is that all gone . Youll see us there. Absolutely and were still doing that because those things make it more simpler for people to register to vote; however, some people do need helph reading through the form, understanding the form and thats a service that we provide, thats a service we train others to do is to sit with someone. Sometimes youre sitting with them and just walking them through the process, especially new citizens, really helping them engage in understanding. We want to simplify it, keep it easy breezy so you do not feel that intimidation. And last but not least what about getting out the vote. We have so many plans. Exactly. So we of course are planning a huge event for october 29th which is the only day during the 11 days of early voting where you can vote. So were planning to partner with many different organizations and just were yelling at the top of our lungs. We do phone, volunteers, were always looking for were really excited about about a 29th. Were looking to bring together 90 organizations, 10 organizations in each of the Nine City Council districts. Were going to be doing some type of activity. Whats exciting about this, we call it nocrocross boston, whats exciting this year is we wont be telling people to vote tuesday well say come vote right now. Do you want to get in the car, go down the streets and were going to plan these huge register is october 19th, dont forget and if you want more information on mass vote here is their contact information, www. Massvote, the phone number is listed there as well and themail address, info massvote. Org. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the very important work that you do and keep up the good work. Best wishes. Our closing music is f going on. The closing motto, you remember, ralphler waldo emerson, who reminds us you can never do a kindness too soon for we never know how soon it will be too late. Have a blessed day and see you next time on higher ground. . . I feel like going on . . Though trials come on every hand i feel like going on . . I feel like grasping my way . . I feel like grasping my way . . Though trials come on every hand i feel like going on . . I feel like grasping my . 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