The Daily Show: Ears Edition - ICYMI - Tina Knowles-Lawson and Leigh Chapman on the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

Episode Date: August 1, 2020

Tina Knowles-Lawson and Leigh Chapman discuss their work with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights to ensure safe and accessible elections for all Americans. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second the th.. th. th. th. the th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. the th. th. th. th. the th. th. th. the the th. th. th. thi-S. the, the, thi-S. thi-S. thea-Sepepea-Sepe-Sepnipe, the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. th. th. th. There. There. There. There. There. It. It. It's th. It's th. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's th. It's th. It's the. It's the. It's the. 0e. 0e. 0e. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts. Mrs. Tina, Lee Chapman, welcome to the Daily Social Distancing Show. Thank you. Thank you, thank you for having us. Thank you. Mrs. Tina, I'm gonna start with you. You penned an open letter to some of the most powerful people in this country, and in it, you shared so many emotions that many Americans share, many mothers share and many black mothers share specifically.

It was emotional, it was powerful, and the gist of it was, the government needs to dedicate money to making sure that everybody has access to voting in the November general election. That was a big step for you to take. What did you hope to achieve from an open letter? Well, I was hoping with the help of the mothers of the movement and the leadership conference and some of my friends who signed on to the letter to just make some noise

about it and bring attention and awareness to it because quite honestly until I started working with the leadership conference on and I still vote I didn't even realize that there was a bill on the table and that it had been approved way back in May by the House of Representative, but that it was sitting on Mitch McConnell's desk. And I just feel like it's our right to that money to create a safe environment for people to go out and do their civic duty. You shouldn't have to choose between the two.

So it's really important and hopefully, you know, it brought, it shined a light on that for people and connected the dots. Yeah, that was one of the lines from your letter that really struck a chord with so many people and that was we should not have to choose between public health and a functioning democracy. Many people do feel like that is going to be the choice that people need to make. It feels like that struck a chord with you on a very personal level. Tell me why. Absolutely, because of all the voter suppression, the recent elections that they held, and people were waiting for five hours. You know, 650,000 people were registered to vote and

they have one voting location. I mean, it's just ridiculous. We're in America. And a lot of people contacted, uh, it's just ridiculous. We're in America. And a lot of people contracted COVID from being out, why do you have to decide between the two when, you know, the government is giving funds to companies, to big business, to help them out, and then you don't want to spend the money to help create a safe environment for us to vote.

It's just like a no-brainer. I don't understand it. Lee, you've been instrumental in pushing this cause forward. You know, yourself and Mrs. Tina have become a power duo in moving this idea through the halls of Congress and hopefully through the Senate as well. What do you think people miss about this conversation? You know, there's a lot of people who say like, oh, I don't think there's an issue. If you want to wait to vote, you'll wait to vote. You know, I don't know why people are complaining. What do you think they're missing in the conversation?

Sure. Voting really needs to be safe and accessible and we need to have a democracy where everyone can participate. tho. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. the th. th. the th. th. the th. to. to. the to. to. their. to. to. their. their. th. to. the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. If th. If th. If th. If the the the the the the the the the to the to vote. If. If. If. If. If. If. If, to to to to vote. If. If. If. to to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. the the the the to. the to. the. to. to. to. the to. the the to. the. the th. the th. the th. the th. the to. to're calling on Congress to pass the Heroes Act, because it would provide an essential $3.6 billion in funding during this pandemic so states can mail absentee ballots to voters. So voters can have at least two weeks of early voting, where they can safely social distance and cast their ballot. You know, it's so critical that voters have all options to cast their ballot this November. And it's a travesty because yesterday the Senate introduced the Heals Act, which actually allocated zero funding for elections. And the next two weeks are going to be critical when it comes to making sure that this election funding is in the final stimulus package that actually passes Congress. So that's why Ms. Tena, the leadership conference

and our Instalai vote campaign is doing everything we can to drive calls to the Senate, texts and tweets to make sure that voters don't have to choose between their health and their vote this year. There are a lot of people in America who are really concerned about the idea of mail-in voting. You know, obviously the president doesn't help with his tweets and his messages, but there are many Americans on the ground who say, I just don't feel safe with this idea.

Surely we should go there to deliver our ballots in person. Aren't we setting ourselves up for some disaster? votes going missing, votes being tampered with. Vote by mail is safe. thii. How do you respond to that concern? Vote by mail is safe, it's secure. Over five states exclusively use vote by mail. So it's something that one and four Americans use to cast their ballot in 2018. So we're advocating for increased vote by mail,

but also increased ways where people can drop it off. Like Ms. Tina said, you know, their absentee ballot drop boxes all across Washington, California has it. So we really need all options for voters to cast their ballot this year. As you said, so many states have done, well, I guess it's a small amount relative to the larger number, but are you worried at all that these states will be able to implement it properly.

I mean, we've seen how, how American states can botch a new election or a new idea, whether it be for the primaries or anything else. Are you worried that trying to do something new may lead to a disaster that then adds just even more sparks to the flame that's already burning in this country? We're a hundred days, fewer than a hundred days out from the election, and so it's essential that states receive this funding now, because time is running out. so so so so so th. So th. So th so th so th so th so th so th so th so th th so th th that that thi that thi that's that's thi thi thi that's thi thi's thi's thi's thi's thi's thi thi's thi's thi's the the the the the the the the the the the thi thi thi thi the the the th th th the th th th th th th th th th the the the the the the the the the the the the the the. the is the. We've the. We've the. We've the. And so it's essential that states receive this funding now because time is running out. So that's why we've been pushing on Congress because states need to be able to hire more poll workers.

You know, states need to be actually able to purchase more machines, more absentee ballot scanners. So all this takes time and money, and so that's why time is of the essence when it comes to making sure that, to, to, to, to, to, the, the, the, to, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, their, their, to, their, tia, tia, ti, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, thea, and, ti, ti, and, ti, ti, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is, and, is a a, and, and, and, is a, is a, is a, is a, is a takes time and money and so that's why time is of the essence when it comes to making sure that states are ramping up vote by mail so voters can cast their ballot this year. It is going to be a year, it is going to be a year where everyone is watching the polls even closer than ever before, and it feels like people are going to be in a place where when the election comes around, we may not know the results the results the results the results the results the results. the results. the results. the results. the results. the results. the results. the results. the results. the results. to to to to to to to to to be to be. to be. to be. to be. to be. to to be in a place where when the election comes around, we may not know the result for a day, two days, maybe three days, maybe even longer. Are you worried at all about what that might do to the country when you have a president

who has already started planting the seeds for the idea that Malin voting is fraud? Well, you know, what the president is saying through his tweets and through Facebook, it's really a scare tactic, plain and simple. You know, turnout is going to be very large this year, and so it is going to take time for local election officials to process those ballots. So it's, we all need to get comfortable with the fact that we may not know the election results for at least a week after election day. You know, I think Americans are used to watching the news on election night and getting those instant results, but we need to let the process play out, let a local election officials do their job and, you know, count those ballots. I have to ask you a question about what happened in Louisville. That became like a very strange point of contention for people in talking about, in the the thion night thion night thion thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi the thi thi and thi and thi and thi and thin thin night thin night thin night thi and I and thin night thin night and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and thin thin night in night in night in night in night in night in night and I and I and I and I and thi and thi and thi and thi and night thi and night thin night thin night thin night thin night thin night thin night thin night thin night thin night the n night thin night thin night thin thin thin thin thin thin thin thin to thin thin. to thin to thin. thin. thin. thin. thin. thin. to thin. thin the news thin thin. the to ask you a question about what happened in Louisville. That became like a very strange point of contention for people in talking around about elections.

Everyone saw the lines. Everyone saw people stuck outside. They saw how they had to extend voting hours. But at the same time, officials in Louisville said, hey, we had one of the largest turnouts and our mail-in voting. And really we had to compromise between mail-in voting and having polling stations open. Do you think that it has to be a choice? Does America have to choose between mail-in voting and having enough polling stations? Not if it's funded, which is exactly what we're talking about. If there is funding available, then there's, we just don't want to give them any excuses, but I don't think that you should have to, th, th, th, th, th, to have th, th, to have thi, thi, the thi, the the to have thi, the to affect, the thi, their, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, their, their, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, to, to, to, toe, toea, toean, toean, toooooooooooan, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, to, their, their, then there's, we just don't want to give them any excuses, but I don't think that you should have to, that one should affect the other. They should both be available because it's our right as Americans to have that choice. Yeah, and in Louisville, Kentucky, you know,

there was one polling place for over 600,000 voters, as Ms. Tina mentioned earlier. And when those polls closed, we saw images of voters banging on the doors to get in. You know, when you're in line, when the polls close, you're entitled to vote. So, you know, they eventually did get in, but, you know, we shouldn't have long lines, we shouldn't have voters having to bang down the doors in order to cast their constitutional and fundamental right to vote. You're both on the front lines pushing this message in Congress throughout the halls. Is there something that people at home can do if they want to help out? Yes, if you go to and still I vote, it will just put you through the process to call the senators, and we need to bombard them with phone calls. And don't give up, just keep going because, you know, this this this is this is this is this is th i th i thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus is just thus thus thus thus thus thus their to bombard them with phone calls. And don't give up, just keep going,

because, you know, this is just so important and it's important to all people, but especially black and brown people. There has to be a change, guys. And I would just add, you know, registered a vote, check to make sure that you're registered, you know, over 17 million voters were purged from the rolls between 2016 and 2018 alone.

So double check to make sure you're still on the voter rolls. You know, make a plan to vote, whether that's requesting an absentee ballot or vote by mail ballot, whether it's voting early in person or on election day. Know how you're going to get there, know where your polling place is because it's critically important that we all participate this year. And have your ID, the proper ID, make sure that you have your ID with you. Give them no excuses.

Thank you so much both for joining me today. Mrs. Tina Lee Chapman, I appreciate you both. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. The Daily Show with Cover Noa, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central app. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to the Daily Show on

YouTube for exclusive content and more. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News, listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting

September 17.