Future Hindsight

Your Political Rights: Attorney General Eric Holder & Michael Waldman

Oct 3, 2024

Eric Holder, the 82nd Attorney General and chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, teams up with Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice, to delve into voter suppression and the importance of civic engagement. They discuss gerrymandering tactics and their impact on representation, the challenges faced by voters in red versus blue states, and the evolving strategies of political parties around election integrity. Both emphasize the urgent need for reforms to protect democracy and encourage everyone to participate actively in elections.

01:27:19

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Episode guests

Michael Waldman

Eric Holder

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The podcast highlights the critical importance of robust voting infrastructure to ensure that every election accurately reflects the electorate's will.

Historical voter suppression tactics, rooted in systemic discrimination, continue to evolve, necessitating a deeper understanding for effective reform.

Gerrymandering significantly undermines representative democracy, demonstrating the need for independent redistricting commissions to restore fairness in electoral politics.

Deep dives

The Importance of Voting Infrastructure

Voting infrastructure is a critical aspect of democracy, encompassing the processes by which votes are cast, counted, and verified. The podcast emphasizes that voting should not only be a right but also a fully supported and functional process, stressing the roles of election workers and the voting system itself. As democracy faces challenges, it becomes imperative to ensure that all structural components of voting are robust and equitable. By prioritizing the integrity of these processes, citizens can safeguard their right to vote and ensure that every election reflects the true will of the electorate.

Intro

3min

Voting Rights and Democratic Backsliding

16min

Gerrymandering: A Tactic of Manipulation

12min

Voting Rights and Voter Suppression Tactics

2min

Navigating Voting Rights Challenges

9min

Election Integrity Challenges

32min

Navigating History and Democracy

13min

This is a recording of a live event of the American Voter Project at the Eric H. Holder Jr. Initiative for Civil and Political Rights. We discuss the long history of voter suppression, voting rights, the electoral college, the Supreme Court, and democracy.

General Holder’ and Michael’s civic action toolkit recommendations are:

Vote!
Engage in a major social movement

Eric H. Holder, Jr. serves as Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. He served in the Obama Administration as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States from February 2009 to April 2015, the third longest-serving Attorney General in U.S. history and the first African American to hold that office.

Michael Waldman is president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. A nonpartisan law and policy institute that focuses on improving systems of democracy and justice, the Brennan Center is a leading national voice on voting rights, money in politics, criminal justice reform, and constitutional law.

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