10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Breakout Sessions - Round I
Protecting Voters of Color from Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation in Election 2024: Re-building Trust in Our Democratic Institutions (Big Sur)
Voters of color have long been the targets of Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation (MDM) efforts that aim to hinder their full participation in the American political process. In recent election cycles, the ease of disseminating election MDM through social media and traditional media platforms has contributed to a dramatic increase in MDM efforts, which has greatly eroded our communities’ trust in our institutions. This panel will bring together an experienced group of election advocates, researchers, and leaders, to discuss the impact of MDM on Election 2024 and the electorate, both in California and nationwide. Presenters will also provide attendees with strategies and best practices to counter MDM as we prepare for Election 2024.
Moderator:
- Jacqueline Coto, NALEO Educational Fund, State Director of Civic Engagement Policy
Presenters:
- Julio Rivera, NALEO Educational Fund, National Deputy Director of Civic Engagement
- Myra Miranda, National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), Algorithmic Transparency Partnerships Manager
- Jinxia Niu, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Program Manager
- Drew Liebert, California Institute for Technology and Democracy (California Common Cause project), Executive Director
Lessons from the Ground: How Grassroots Organizers Activate and Mobilize Millions of Voters of Color (Golden State)
In the 2022 General Election, only approximately 11 million of California’s voters cast a ballot, representing a voter turnout rate of about 50%, the lowest since 2014. In the months leading up to any election, community grassroots organizers register people to vote, familiarize voters with the candidates and ballot measures, and then turn people out to the polls. Voter suppression, intimidation, and disinformation campaigns have been pervasive in recent elections, and grassroots organizations have served as trusted messengers to engage and provide support to underrepresented voters to ensure their voices are heard. Many of the missing voices in California’s elections are from voters of color. Panelists will go over best practices, the most current strategies, and challenges in activating and mobilizing voters of color to build a true multiracial democracy from the grassroots organizers’ perspective.
Moderator:
- Laiseng Saechao, California Calls, Policy and Campaign Director
Presenters:
- Lydia Avila, California Calls, Power Building Director
- Michael Lok, AAPIs for Civic Empowerment Education Fund, Field Director
- Jonathan Paik, OC Action, Executive Director
- Kristin Nimmers, California Black Power Network, Policy and Campaign Manager
California Voter’s Choice Act: Where Do We Go from Here? (Carmel)
Recently, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and Haas Jr Fund convened voter engagement experts to evaluate the efficacy of the Voter’s Choice Act (VCA), with a close eye on the experiences of BIPOC voters and whether the VCA had closed voter turnout disparities. The evaluation reveals that while known legal barriers have been removed, disparities and drops in voter turnout still exist among communities of color and young voters. In this panel, voting rights and civic engagement experts will provide a history of the VCA, share their takeaways, assess what has been achieved and what hasn’t, and re-imagine what elections officials, state government, and civic engagement groups can do to finally build a representative democracy.
Moderator:
- Sky Allen, Inland Empire United, Executive Director
Presenters:
- James Schwab, Office of Senator Alex Padilla, State Director
- Lori Shellenberger, Voting Rights and Election Reform Consultant
- Cha Vang, AAPIs For Civic Empowerment, Deputy Director of Politics and Partnerships,
- Dean C. Logan, Los Angeles County, Registrar-Recorder and County Clerk