Subcommittee, this is about an hour. The subcommittee on elections on House Administration will come to order. Im happy to announce we are joined to today by mr. Agre from california and mr. Raskin. Hearing ining this compliance with the regulations for Committee Hearings pursuant to House Resolution 965. Generally, the committee would keep microsomes muted microphones muted. Members will need to unmute to be recognized for five minutes. Witnesses will need to unmute themselves when recognized for their five minutes or when asking a question. Members and witnesses, please keep your camera on at all times. Even if you need to step away for a moment, do not leave the meeting. At this time, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise thatmend the remarks and any written statements be part of the record. Hearing no objections, so ordered. Today, we are examining new misinformation in the 2020 election. How the spread of false information harms voters and what can be done to combat this and ensure that americans can go to the polls armed with Accurate Information. This year, we cannot discuss election misinformation without also recognizing the persistent misinformation being spread about the ongoing covid19 pandemic. Americans need Accurate Information about how to cast their ballots about the pandemic, and importantly, Accurate Information on how to cast their ballots in a manner that protects their health. Election day may be four weeks from today, but voting is well underway. Overseas and military ballots were sent out a few weeks ago. Absentee ballots can be requested now and returned in the weeks ahead. More than 30 states are already mailin ballots to voters. Mailing ballots to voters. Early in person voting began in many states over the last two weeks and more will do so in the weeks ahead. Early voting begins in ohio today. The American People are voting and will be voting now through november 3. During all of this, the president and others are waging an insidious campaign to so w distrust in our process by spreading false claims that vote by mail is rife with fraud, making unsubstantiated claims that the election will be rigged, encouraging people to vote twice which is illegal and wrong. Additionally, u. S. Intelligence agencies warned that russia has continued its Disinformation Campaign and continues to interfere in the election. In 2016, no group of americans were targeted more by Russian Internet disinformation than africanamericans. American people deserve the truth. They deserve an election free from the fraud of false information and Voter Suppression. The truth is, millions of americans, including the president and members of his administration, cast a ballot by mail every election cycle with exceedingly rare instances of fraud. The truth is as significantly , more americans prepare to cast their ballots from home this year than ever before, the American People must be prepared that we may not know the winner of the election on the night of november 3. And this does not mean anything is wrong with the election. The Election Night results are never final that night. Days, if notake weeks, to certify election results. This also allows ballots that were mailed on election day to be counted. The truth is that there is nothing nefarious. It is simply about counting ballots. The count must be accurate and that takes time. Every validly cast vote should count. That is democracy. Ares mailed on election day cast on election day, and we should count them, not spread fear and lie about a rigged election. Misinformation being spread in the lead up to this years election is a disservice to voters and a danger to our democracy. And our democratic institution. The house passed the shield act in october 2019, which would address the spread of misinformation, including prohibiting the spread of false information about voting, but the senate has refused to act. It is our duty to ensure voters have all of the necessary , Accurate Information you need to cast their ballots freely, fairly, and safely during the pandemic and with confidence in our electoral system. I thank all of our witnesses for being here today and i look forward to hearing your testimony. The Ranking Member is unfortunately unable to join us today. I ask unanimous consent that his statement be made part of the record. Without objection, so ordered. Each of you will be recognized for five minutes. I will remind our witnesses that their entire written statements will be made part of the record and that the record will remain open for at least five days for additional materials to be submitted. Another reminder to our witnesses, there is a timer on the screen. Please be sure you can see it and you are mindful of the five minute limit. Joining us today, a commissioner with the u. S. Election assistance commission. And wasioner hovl confirmed by unanimous consent in 2019. He previously served as acting chief counsel for the Senate Committee on rules and administration. Jenna griswold is colorados 39th secretary of state. She began her term january 8, 2019. She is the youngest elected secretary of state in the country. Practicedgriswold has International Anticorruption law, worked as Voter Protection attorney, and preview loosely the board served as of elections president. Member davis chapelle mr. Overton is the president of the jordan joint center for political and economic center. Mr. Overton is also a tenured professor at George Washington University School of law. He previously served at the office of legal policy at the department of justice during the Obama Administration. It is interesting to note that we are holding this hearing during National Voter education week. With that, i will now recognize members for their five minutes. With mr. Egin today hovland. Good afternoon. Thank you, chairperson fudge and members of the this is an important issue. Combating disinformation was one of the expected issues of the 2020 election and the covid19 pandemic has only exacerbated the risk. From the 2016 for interference in our elections, there has been an increased focus and dedication to the security of our elections. The department of Homeland Security has helped to codify and coordinate efforts between federal, state, and local Government Agencies as well as private industry. This has led to a change in information sharing and coupled with an act his greatly improved the Security Posture of our elections. That commitment to securing our elections has continued, but it is impossible to discuss this election without acknowledging the impact of the covid19 pandemic. Since march amid the debates about the health of our communities and economy, Election Administrators have had a difficult path of determining how to adapt their practices and procedures to conduct safe, secure, accurate, elections. At the eac, we have pivoted substantially to focus our attention on how we can support state and local Election Officials as they make tough decisions. Eac has also distributed almost 1. 2 billion in Grant Funding to the state since 2018. This includes 400 million from the cares act funds and additional Election Security funds. These resources have proven vital to improving Election Administration and covid19 related issues. Election administrators have risen to the challenge during these difficult times. The Public Servant that administers elections can only did dust do their best when it comes to limiting the impact of widespread disinformation. Political campaigns and Interest Groups are spending billions of dollars to influence americans. Foreign adversaries are amplifying our divisions to dissuade participation or provide inAccurate Information about how voters can participate. In the face of that, americans must come together to protect our nation, the electoral process, and voter confidence. Those who can should help encourage confidence in the electoral process by highlighting the great work of our Election Administrators. Supporting efforts like the National Association of 2020 campaign are integral parts of ensuring that americans get the right information this year. Today, we are 28 days from election day. Military and overseas citizen absentee ballots have been sent out around the world. A number of states have begun early voting. Some registration deadlines have already passed. The most important things we can focus on at this point are the basics. Serving voters well and helping them to have a positive experience whether they vote by mail, absentee, early in person, or on election day. Misinformation can interfere with that. We must push back against this intentionally misleading disinformation but also misinformation that may be wellintentioned or appropriate for citizens and one state or jurisdiction but not another. Area, voters are registered in one or two states or the district. Social media does not stop at the state line. Runseality is, each state elections in a unique way. The effort i mentioned earlier is about helping americans get Accurate Information about Election Administration from their state and local officials. This is the trusted source for each voter which provides correct information on how to participate. With all of the noise that surrounds this election, it is crucial that we encourage individuals to think through how they plan to vote and trust source information. Most americans have the option to vote by mail or on election day. We know from the cdc that limiting congestion in the polling places will keep voting as safe as possible. Helping americans get Accurate Information about their voting options and how they can participate this year and shows that ensures that voters have the opportunity to vote on or before election day. Thank you again for the opportunity to testify today and i look forward to your questions. Thank you very much. I appreciate your testimony. We will now hear from secretary griswold. You are recognized for five minutes. Thank you for your work on elections and for inviting me to this hearing. I am colorados secretary of state. I look forward to sharing my views on combating misinformation in the election. As colorados top election official, i believe Election Security is one of our greatest National Security risks. If Foreign Countries interfere with our election, it undermines faith in the entire electoral process. When voters doubt the process, they are less likely to participate which weakens our democracy. I would like to briefly discuss the threats we are facing and proposals for congressional action. The Intelligence Community and bipartisan Senate Committee on intelligence concluded that russia interfered in the 2016 election. We know that enemies are trying to influence how we vote and undermine confidence. The fbi just released warnings noting foreign actors may try to undermine confidence in the results. Foreign adversaries are meddling in our elections. We cannot allow this to continue. In response to ensure colorado remains at the forefront of election preparedness and that we remain confident in our process, i created a cyber unit to combat misinformation and emerging cyber threats. The rescue team is coordinating with partners by implementing a Public Outreach effort to ensure no to we ignore the noise. Ensuring my office can rapidly respond to misinformation by releasing Accurate Information and ensuring county and nongovernmental partners work with us to rollout correct information. We are also working with dhs and the fbi. Following the election, we will shift toward enhancing our resistance to foreign interference. An initiative to advance initiatives to counter foreign miss intervention misinformation. Last winter, before covid19 shut down our state legislature, i proposed legislation to combat disinformation in colorado. The proposal strengthens requirements to ensure paid election messages are not coming from foreign sources. It prohibits campaigns from collaborating with foreign governments. We must ensure that Foreign Countries do not use social media platforms as a tool to suppress americans votes. Colorado is leading on this and our democracy demands it. Congress also has an Important Role to play. From appropriations and warnings to the public to tackle this i recommend the following action. Congress should establish a commission with bipartisan representatives to develop recommendations to make sure what happened in 2016 and is happening right now never happens again. Congress should provide Adequate Funding to states for cybersecurity. Third, congress should require the Intelligence Community to declassify foreign misinformation and work with a partisan representatives from state and federal government to rule out the information to the american public. Fourth, congress should consider legislation to combat election misinformation and foreign coordination. I also call on congress to act to remove the artificial protections afforded to social Media Companies. Social Media Companies are not neutral platforms. Content can promote ill intentioned for an activity. They should not be shielded from accountability. While social media can be a tool for good, adversaries can use it as never seen before. I am grateful for this opportunity to testify today. I am optimistic that we can counter foreign misinformation and make sure every american has a democracy we can believe in. Thank you. Next guest, you are recognized for five minutes. You. Ank i appreciate the opportunity to speak. In the 13 years i have served on the ohio board of elections, including the last three president ial elections, i have never witnessed the falsehoods being disseminated about the integrity of our elections process that i have seen in this cycle. The lie that there is rampant voting fraud has been tamped down somewhat. It is shameful. Its an election fact that voters in ohio have been voting by mail successfully since 2006. Our ohio secretary of state has published a number of materials highlighting the goals and tactics of the Disinformation Campaigns we are seeing. These campaigns are taking divisive issues, amplifying messages via fringe groups, organizing protests and so forth , using internet and social media to launch campaigns with the goal of subversion, civil unrest. [inaudible] cynicism and discouraging public participation. There are a number of foreign bad actors engaging in this campaign. Much of this misinformation is being promoted by President Trump, the white house, and other domestic bad actors who have unfairly demonized the vote by mail process and undermined public confidence. We are committed to combating this in a number of ways. We began implementing a new initiative to encourage voters to vote by mail to maximize their safety in the pandemic and that initiative is called vote from home. Were also trying to separate fact from fiction by making sure voting is secure. We combat misinformation with facts using mythbusters campaign. These were posted on social voterseared to giving Accurate Information about the voting process. Samples of our messages were included with my written testimony. We have ramped up efforts to connect with voters by education and Community Outreach as a way to combat misinformation and disinformation. We communicate regularly with 300 community partners. Although we only have three employees in our outreach department, these individuals organize and present events that educate and gauge voters. Engage voters. We have a robust website and we have vastly improved our social media presence. We are working to expand those capabilities. One new program we are proud of is a Voter Engagement session on facebook live. The session is held twice per week at noon for 1015 minutes to provide information and updates on the election, to address deadlines. We post pertinent information on all outlets weekly and all of this and more often if we need to and its an effort to counter inaccurate and dangerous messaging being circulated in both traditional media and social media. We have been thinking about ways Congress Might help boards of elections combat misinformation. Additional funding to allow for more robust Community Outreach and Voter Education programming, hiring additional staff to work with voters and earmarking money to improve social media capabilities would be welcomed. I am hopeful the information i share with you today will help you as you consider ways to stop misinformation and restore voter confidence in our election process. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today and it is appropriate we are having this hearing on Voter Education week and i am pleased to be here and i would be happy to answer any questions you have. Text thank you. This morning, a couple members of my staff happened to be down by the board of elections and took videos of people lined up around the block. On the very first day of in person voting. Next guest, you are recognized for five minutes. Congresswoman and committee members, thank you so much. I am president of the joint center which is americas black think tank. I am also a tenured law professor at gw. Social media platforms are fueling the spread of lies that are undermining our democracy. This crisis is not hypothetical. In 2016, an Organization Associated with Russian Military intelligence erected fake accounts pretending to be africanamericans and they urged lacked people to protest by not voting. The russians directed 38 of their u. S. Facebook advertising buys toward africanamericans even though black folks are only 13 of the u. S. Population. In 2016, the Trump Campaign divided millions of americans into several categories including a category they called deterrence. It targeted those voters with tailored social media ads discouraging them from voting. It black voters were disproportionately singled out although African Americans account for only 22 percent of North Carolinas population, they were 46 of the North Carolina voters laded as labeled as determinants. The campaign labeled 3. 5 million black voters for deterrence. The 2016 election marked the largest decline in black voters in modern history. It is no surprise these efforts continue in 2020. During the primary, russians targeted black users with online disinformation about senator Kamala Harris. In march 2020, facebook and twitter acknowledged they removed a network of russian backed accounts originating in nigeria that targeted black communities in the u. S. Last month, the department of Homeland Security revealed that russia is attempting to reveal promote false statements online mailin ballots or little are riddled with fraud. When some social Media Companies started to remove these lies, the Trump Administration retaliated by issuing an executive order to amend a section of the Communications Decency act. That gives social Media Companies the power to remove disinformation if it is obscene, violent, or otherwise objectionable without the risk of legal liability. The Trump Administration proposal would propose the removal of platforms to remove obscene and violent content, but would eliminate the power to remove other objectionable content like election disinformation. If the trump proposals were adopted, companies could risk legal liability for removing ads targeting users telling them things like you cant vote if someone in your household has committed a crime. The company removing lies about our elections does not stifle free speech. This elevates civil rights in our democracy. Many of these platforms are not simply unmoderated community billboards, but instead, they are carefully crafted algorithms to grab the users attention and maximize ad revenue. Just as the companies remove adult pornography without violating speech, they should remove false voting information. Many of the worlds most Profitable Companies should not profit from disinformation against marginalized communities. Mark zuckerberg said voting is voice and it is the single most powerful expression of democracy. He and other Companies Must take action to end Voter Suppression. While the russians and the Trump Campaign buy misleading ads targeting black voters encouraging them not to vote, they push to rewrite federal law so the platforms cant remove disinformation about elections. We need companies to unequivocally stand up and promote or remove all disinformation to prevent a repeat of 2016. Online platforms have made progress, but they need to do much more. I look forward to talking about that in q a. We have less than one month to Work Together to prevent the burning of our democracy. We need all hands on the bucket line. Thank you, and i look forward to our discussion. It is now time for our members to ask their questions. Let me just say, you will notice there are no republicans on this call. I would suggest that by their absence, they have decided that they are not concerned about this topic or at best, they dont care to be involved in this discussion. With that, i would recognize mr. Butterfield who is traveling as you can see. This issue was important enough for him to, from his automobile, to be part of this discussion. You are now recognized for five minutes. Thank you and its good to see my democratic colleagues here today. I am disappointed that my republican colleagues did not see the wisdom in participating in this conversation today. We will hear from the witnesses. Thank you to all of the witnesses for your testimony. Let me start with the gentleman from the election assistance commission. Thank you for all that you do for your country. I need to extend the conversation about the misinformation and disinformation subject. I think dr. Overton touched on it and it is so critically important. What resources, what initiatives are states and local officials utilizing to combat such misinformation . What resources are the states using and local cities and counties using . Thank you, congressman. I appreciate the question. When we talk about trusted sources and the trusted info 2020 effort, that is about getting people to their standard local election official. I mentioned the cares act funding earlier. We heard from a lot of states that they have they are going to use a portion of that to work on Voter Education and that is a huge issue. Different states are administering different processes. We heard from witnesses that we will see a recordsetting use of mail and or absentee ballots. Mail or absentee ballots. Do the states have the resources they need . We had a hearing where we were doing primary Lessons Learned and between that and the number of other conversations, we have consistently heard about the need for additional funding. Obviously, elections are under resourced traditionally. The federal funding has made a big difference, but there is absolutely a need for more. We consistently hear from officials about the need for an annual regular funding stream. That would allow for them to i can tell you in the states i am familiar with, resources are desperately needed. Thank you for your testimony. Thank you for the incredible work that you do on behalf of black americans every day. You talked a moment ago about social media and how harmful this can be. What is the role of social media efforts to misinform and suppress voting in black communities . You said they are doing better, but are they really . I want to acknowledge, i know your father played a pivotal role in furthering Voting Rights. He would be proud of you and your contributions to Voting Rights. Thank you. In terms of these companies, they need to do a lot more. They need to step up to the plate. There are things they are doing in terms of content moderation. They need to do more in terms of a more rigorous definition of Voter Suppression. They need more transparency so we know whats really happening with enforcement. Are they effective in their enforcement . There are several things they need to do to step up their game. We have got to press them, because they are key in terms of preventing Voter Suppression. They are getting a lot of pressure from this administration and they need to know that people are paying attention, we are holding them accountable to prevent Voter Suppression. I think officials have a role to play. What recommendations can you make to state and local Election Officials to make sure that black and brown voters are not misinformed . The Brennan Center put out a very good document on this. It is providing the Accurate Information that exists and being a trusted source of information. We have heard these recommendations from fellow witnesses. That is key in terms of a critical place to go where there is Accurate Information and ensuring that is available. In the final 30 seconds, what can voters do to guarantee their votes are not discarded . Number one, they need to recognize that what they see online may be false. They need to Pay Attention to that. Number two, if they are voting by mail, one of the big issues we fear are ballots rejected because there was something that was not filled out. They need to Pay Attention in terms of voting by mail. Most important thing is, they have to participate. Dont be discouraged by what is happening. Participation is critical. Thank you, i will spread that throughout my district. Pay attention. I yield back. Thank you very much. We have now been joined by the chair of the full committee from california. You are recognized. I thank you very much. I wanted to hop on for a few minutes to listen to this incredible panel and also to thank you for your leadership. As chair of the election subcommittee and the members who have joined you today. I wish that our colleagues across the aisle had joined us. Maybe they still will. That would be important. It should not be a partisan issue. The idea of every american being able to cast their vote freely and to have that vote counted as cast. It is the bottom line for america. What you are doing today is important in terms of shining a spotlight on what the issues are, but also telling each and every one of us as community leaders, as voters, what we can do to make sure that that goal , every american citizen gets the chance to cast their vote. Thank you so much for doing this. Im going to hop off in another minute to another obligation, but i didnt want to pass up the opportunity to listen and thank you for the leadership you have shown. Thank you for joining us, we appreciate it. We know how busy your schedule is. I will now recognize the representative from california for five minutes. Thank you for your steadfast leadership. As i have said in this committee, our goal should be to remove the barriers that prevent americans from voting. Right now, that means making sure it is safe in the midst of a pandemic. One safe and effective form that we know our speakers talked about was utilizing mailin ballots which allow americans to vote safely from their homes. Despite claims from the minority on this committee, and i wish they were here to defend themselves about this topic, there is no significant risk of voter fraud associated with mailin ballots. These claims could also misinform millions of americans as they create their plan to vote. Elections experts across the political spectrum agree that voting fraud is exceedingly rare. Whether you want to trust a the Brennan Center center for justice or the heritage foundation, the results are the same. The actual fraudulent vote by mail votes cast are minuscule. There is no legitimate concern over voter fraud. Yet it is more likely for americans to get struck by lightning than to commit mail voting fraud. It is more rare than winning the mega millions. Misinformation about voting by mail is dangerous and could cause millions of americans to alter their plan and that would be a mistake. In exercising their right to vote. That is why House Democrats have passed numerous wills through this community and the full house to help americans vote safely, accurately, and without fraud during the pandemic. We need to continue to do that. My question to mr. Overton, we have seen a growing misinformation targeting communities of color. Social media posts from actors including iran and russia have changed the political opinions of minority voters to depress voter turnout. We have seen this despicable information. Two americans were charged with conspiring to intimidate voters in violation of election law. They sent thousands of robo calls to africanamerican communities in at least five states telling residents that voting by mail is subject to their arrest and Debt Collection and enforced vaccination. What can we do to fight the Disinformation Campaign . Thank you so much for that question. What is important about your question is it illustrates that the evolving nature of Voter Suppression. We have had robo calls in the past. They have happened in michigan this election, in michigan and across the country. In michigan, 12,000 residents were targeted with robo calls to discourage them from voting. They were impersonating trying to pretend they were someone from the community. We have seen the same thing in regard to social media. This is kind of an evolution in terms of platforms with regard to social media. Steps,s of specific individuals have to recognize there is a lot of misinformation and trustt there credible sources to go to your Elections Officials website and get Accurate Information. As you said, your language, develop a plan to vote. That is incredibly important. Have a plan and go out and vote now. Dont be discouraged. There are so many people who would say, as you know in 2016, lets protest all that is going on. Lets protest racism and not vote. That was an attempt to suppress voters of color. Folks cannot fall into that trap. They have to get good information and they have to participate. As more and more voters are the numbers are more than one Million People have already voted. The chairperson mentioned in her own communities, people are already voting. I am concerned that right now is the time these Disinformation Campaigns are going to ramp up their efforts because many people know that their political interests are not served when more people exercise their right to vote. That is what concerns me and what we have to be on the lookout for. Madam chair, i ask unanimous consent that a september 30 article published in the New York Times entitled study finds single largest coronavirus mismanagement trump, be entered into the record. Also a september 30 piece from the New York Times, how President Trumps false claim of voter fraud is being used to disenfranchise americans. That they both be entered into the record. Without objection, so ordered. You are recognized for five minutes. Madam chair, thanks for your great leadership in calling this hearing and making sure that we are staying laser focused on the integrity and fairness of this election. I want to go to my friend Spencer Overton first. Welcome, professor. President trump has been engaged in disinformation already calling the election of fraud, a a fraud, a scam, a hoax, millions of fake ballots. This itself discourages and depresses voting. It demoralizes voters. It also provides a smokescreen and a fog of propaganda for state legislatures that may be trying to depress turnout and it and may be trying to discredit what might be a landslide popular vote based on the polls today for joe biden and replace the popular vote with electors that have been appointed directly by the state legislature. This question of propaganda and disinformation is very important in terms of trying to preserve the integrity of popular democracy in the state in the president ial election. I wonder if you would comment about facebook . Twitter has implemented a ban on political ads in its platform. Google said it would ban ads referencing the election and candidates after november 3 through january 6. Facebook has said something interesting, which is it will prohibit false and misleading ads from october 27 to november 3. We know there could be a slew of propaganda coming on facebook after the election to try to cast doubt on the results, falsely portraying trump as the winner when he is not the winner, and so on. Would you comment on what facebook has done so far and i wonder specifically if you think facebook should continue its ban on false and misleading information after november 3 up until the Electoral College votes are cast and counted in january in congress . Yes, thank you so much. First of all, i have to acknowledge you had such a strong commitment to democracy in terms of eliminating the wealth primary to prevent so many good candidates from entering democracy. Your strong support for restoring Voting Rights to returning citizens. I am a fan of your writings in terms of your scholarship, so thank you so much. Congressman raskin, facebook needs to do a number of things. Number one, they have to prohibit politicians right now, they have a dual standard in terms of politicians and allowing politicians to promote false and misleading information. They need to ensure that before the election and after the election, when the ballots are being counted, that there is no false and misleading information. They also have to strengthen their definition of Voter Suppression. They would also say that they have 35,000 content moderators. Okay, but they also have 2. 7 billion monthly active users around the world. That works out to one moderator per 77,000 users. There are a number of things they have to step up to the plate on. Part of it is between now and november 3, but that period after is absolutely critical. Thank you. Facebook has been used as a powerful instrument of disinformation and racial and propagandistic violence that has caused civil unrest and even mass atrocity in countries like sudan, myanmar, ethiopia and so on. Would the committee you are suggesting also be working on making sure that we dont get propaganda toward the goal of creating violence in the streets which seems to have been coached all the way to the top, including President Trump at the debate telling the recent and violent racist and violent organization proud boys to standby . That is exactly right. We need a commission to move forward to make sure that this attack on our nations democracy from foreign adversaries does not continually happen every election. That goes from homegrown misinformation to the scanning of election infrastructure to disinformation we are seeing. Those comments about the proud boys have real effects. As a secretary of state responsible for ensuring americans have access to the polls, it is important to say that Voter Suppression is often systemic racism. When you have the leader of the free world calling on ne onazis in the election process, that is Voter Suppression. When you have the president calling on Law Enforcement which is a tactic out of the jim crow south, that is Voter Suppression. Number one, we have to tackle misinformation and foreign countrys interference. Number two, i hope we continue a conversation after about what it november means to be an american citizen and what access every american has. In colorado, we have accessible elections. Every american deserves to have a mail ballot, online Voter Registration and sameday Voter Registration just like coloradans to truly realize what it means to be a citizen. Could i request unanimous consent for two articles to be entered into the record . One is a Washington Post piece entitled republicans have insufficient evidence to call elections rigged. A september 28 article from the post entitled cambridge analytics database identifies black voters as ripe for deterrence. Without objection, so ordered. I will now recognize myself for five minutes. To both ladies on the panel, what do you say to people who say there is no Voter Suppression . Look at the long lines around your building today. What do you say to them . Voter suppression can be seen in those lines, can be seen around the buildings. But also can be seen in the way have restricted their ability to vote. We have burdened the right to vote. There is a constitutionalist that would say we have put structures in place to burden their rights. We have one dropbox. I know this is about messaging today, but it is about Voter Suppression. We have one dropbox for delivery of a ballot in a tiny parking lot next to our administrative building for 850,000 voters. It makes no sense at all. We have one location, under state law, where voters must come to vote in person. It makes no sense. We need a robust manner in which folks can participate. I would tell people not to be discouraged, but they do need to take heart and take their job seriously. We have an obligation as boards of elections to make it easier for folks to cast their ballots. A dropbox doesnt know whether the ballot is republican or democrat, it doesnt make any sense. I want people to be encouraged. We need to tackle social media, but we need blocking and tackling tools for Voter Engagement. That is in person. This pandemic has created a problem. The board of elections, then i will defer to my female zoomague, we had 220 sessions that we have been able to do with three staffers. We need funding and earmarking for a more robust Voter Engagement and Voter Education program for boards of elections so we can counter as best we can all of the other messages that are being put out. Thank you. Quickly, with the numbers we are seeing across the country, how do we tally the ballots without the racism and what do we do if we get hundreds of thousands of mailin ballots that have to be fed into a machine . What do you do . We have been able to vote by mail successfully in cuyahoga county. We are processing them, not tabulating ballots. We are readying them to be processed. We err on the side of accuracy, not speed. We are going to have lots of issues in terms of the volume, which is a good thing. We will accurately count every ballot that is cast. Madam secretary, i know that you sued the Postal Service because they were giving out misinformation to your residents. Tell us how you handled the situation. Madam chairperson, i think it is important as secretary of state to push back against false election information and get voters correct information. And that is right we sued the u. S. Postal service and we won a restraining order about a postcard with wrong information for colorado voters and also sued on a multistate litigation and got a restraining order to make sure the Postal Service does not make operational changes. We won both of those restraining orders. I do think it highlights the need for national standards. The idea that we have misinformation trying to undermine vote by mail, which is the most responsible way to vote during a pandemic, can harm american lives. Colorado is proof of how wonderful and a good election model can work. We have the highest percentage of active voters registered. We also lead the nation in turnout. We are usually number one or number two in participation. Vote by mail makes us more secure. Russia, a foreign adversary, cannot hack a piece of paper. Lastly, it boosts participation. We saw an increase of participation when we adopted vote by mail for all by 9 , including 13 among black voters, 10 among latino voters, and 16 among young voters. I would love to see the further expansion of colorados election model. It works and every american deserves the same access that coloradans have. I want to close with this question. I want each of you what is do e thing congress can outside of resources we know what kind of battle that is. Even though we have put the resources in two bills that have not been passed. What one thing do you think congress can do to assure the American People were doing the best we can to make sure their ballots count . Thank you. Absolutely, this is critical , particularly 28 days out. One of the real privileges of my job is that i get to travel around the country in normal times and see these behindthescenes processes. See what Election Officials are doing and the checks and balances that go into the process. As leaders in your community, congress has the ability to tell voters about that and the importance of having a plan, understanding your process, understanding how to participate. One thing i have been proud of, we have partnered with the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency on a project called the three ps of voting. Saying to voters, you need to be prepared, participating, and patient. That is about checking your Voter Registration, making sure you are updated, knowing how you want to vote this year. I mentioned several different options that most americans have whether by mail or absentee ballot early or on election day. Figuring out what is best for you as an american, how to engage in the process. Ce, knowingce pie that Election Night results arent always official. That is something the media usually does where they make calls. Election officials, to the degree that on websites you see Election Night reporting, those are always unofficial results. There is a canvas and certification process that happens after election day. That is where Election Officials andthe is, cross the ts double check the map. That is where you make sure the numbers are right, you count every americans vote. Helping people understand more of that process and again, knowing that their state and local Election Officials are the trusted source and where they should get that information is crucial. Thank you very much. I would just encourage you to use your bully pulpit, to use your platforms to reach out to your constituents and to give them the assurance. They definitely need to be confident their local elections administrators are doing their job. To help us debunk the myths. People listen to you guys. It is really important that to the extent that you can get messaging out on your websites and in person, it will be very helpful to the voting population and to all of your constituents. It will be helpful to all of the elections administrators. That was the biggest thing. Thank you. You, madam chairperson. Number one, i am extremely confident in our elections in colorado. The first thing i would suggest is make sure all of you are using your platforms to ignore your trustednd source of election information, make a plan to vote and vote mailin ballot. That allows us to social distance and have our voice heard. To continue this conversation after november because there is an attack on everyday people and our democracy. I grew up working fast on food stamps in rural colorado. There are so many people like me, normal Everyday Americans who are losing faith in our democracy. Either because of Voter Suppression tactics, misinformation, or special interests or corruption. As we move past november, we need to focus on election democracy reform holistically. I fought against special interests campaignfinance reform, Voting Rights reform and all of these tenets of democracy reform relate to each other. I look forward to seeing what you will do in the coming months and years and happy to help from colorado. Last but not least, mr. Overton. Thanks so much for your work authoring the vote safe act and being a voice to real voters. Members of Congress Need to use the platform to both encourage people to vote and ensure there is good information out there both before and after the election. President trumps misinformation about vote by mail is actually has actually been promoted by the russians. They take screenshots of his tweets and using fake accounts promote them to discourage tople from participating and encourage them to lose faith in our system. There has got to be a counter to that. Tech Companies Need to be held accountable to ensure they are removing disinformation. Debate, the Trump Administration is discouraging them from removing disinformation. There needs to be a loud counter voice ensuring they are taking down and removing disinformation. Being prepared to immediately reform democracy in january. That is critical here, whether developing the Voting Rights act, d. C. Statehood i was at the beginning of the Obama Administration in 2009. Obviously the Affordable Health care act was important, but my take was we should have done more to prioritize democracy, including all americans. I would urge you to prioritize the inclusion of all americans in terms of democratic reforms. Thank you all very much. Let me turn to my colleagues. This is a busy time for all of us as we are all on the ballot. It is difficult to find time to get away. I thank all of the witnesses. Each of you has a busy schedule as well. All ofhas started in your various jurisdictions. This in the absence of my friends, i am going to predict today the American People are so discouraged by the attacks on our democracy that they will vote in bigger numbers than anyone can imagine. I believe that americans have a real sense of fundamental fairness. They have a sense in what it means to believe in and support the constitution. What they believe is elections matter. For job will be cut out you because you will be inundated with ballots from now until next month. We will show our colleagues and the president there is nothing you can do to kill this democracy. It is bigger than you. It is stronger than you. It is more resilient than you are. We are going to the people are going to win the election because we will exercise our right to vote no matter what roadblocks you put in our way. We are going to do with this country has always done, what is right. I want to encourage you to know we are fighting for you the best we know how. I send out something everyday about voting. Positionr can get in a where we can do the things we need to do for you, we will. I give you my word. If this election goes the way i want it to go, we will have the resources going to all of these states to not be afraid to cast their ballots, to not be intimidated because someone is sending pollwatchers. Thanks announcer washington journal, every day we are taking your calls on the air for the news of the day and discuss policy issues that impact you. Coonsday morning, chris discusses the Upcoming Supreme Court confirmation hearings for judge amy coney barrett. Then a look at senator Kamala Harris record ahead of the Vice President of debate with the San Francisco chronicle. And author and former Indianapolis Star journalist andrea will join us to talk about the record of Vice President mike pence. Also, the latest on the coronavirus pandemic and the response. Watch cspans washington journal, live at 7 00 eastern wednesday morning. Be sure to join the discussion with your phone calls, facebook comments, text messages, and tweets. Announcer heres a look at our live coverage wednesday. At 10 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan, the Supreme Court hears oral argument Via Teleconference in google v oracle. Politico with a preview of the Vice President ial debate with senator Kamala Harris sister and a former Senior Advisor to Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign. At 9 00 p. M. Vice president pence and senator Kamala Harris take place in the first and only Vice President of debate. 9 00 a. M. Eastern a discussion on the transatlantic economy, filed by the irs commissioner testifying at a house subcommittee hearing about the agencys operations during the coronavirus pandemic. And in the afternoon, u. S. Comptroller general and Congressional Budget Office director appear before a Senate Finance subcommittee to talk about the u. S. Economic outlook. Announcer you are watching cspan, your unfiltered view of government. Created by americas Cable Television companies as a public service, and brought to you today by your television provider. Announcer up next, politico hosts a discussion with House Majority whip jim clyburn and former attorney general eric holder, who now chairs the democratic redistricting committee. They looked at the 2020 election, mailin ballots, voter access concerns in black and
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