Trevor Noah and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. cover the tactics used to suppress the votes of American citizens, including the Republicans' use of the filibuster to block the Democrats' voting rights bill, and harsher vote-by-mail laws. Plus, Trevor sits with Carol Anderson to discuss the ways voters of color have been disenfranchised.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
The mom guess what what's up, we were in the woods playing, follow the leader on our bike: soo that sounds fun and we saw a sasquatch family drinking coke, breeze, sign, okay, sasquatch, family drinking capri, sun yeah, and we all went ah and they all went oh yeah, and then we were all
like right: it was so
Oh epic, you're free son, it's gonna, be epic. People were excited about what I will do for them:
I m we're excited about what I will do for business your business
producing watson, eggs, a platform designed to multiply outlet my training with your data when you what's next
Your business? You can build ai to help coders code faster customer service, respond quicker and employees handle repetitive tasks in less time. Let's create ai that transforms business with watson. Next learn more at I bm dot com, slash watson x, I b m: let's create your listening to comedy
central america's basic cable election
coming up in november, which is just five cuban waves away. So now is a time as any to chicken.
On how america's elections are shaping up in our ongoing segment vote chasm: twenty twenty two
bullshit, it's what makes America the greatest democracy in the world and if you don't like american democracy, amerika will come invade your country to show you in person how good choosing for yourself is. As we approach the twenty twenty two mid term elections republican led states across amerika, a busy fine tuning, the voting processes to make sure that the even more perfect.
Take texas. For example, during the last election, people will show frustrated by how many votes in options they had. They could vote in person. They could mail it in. There was dr gruber
I drink too many choices it was so annoying. So now texas is saying: don't worry, we're giving you fewer options, so you don't have to worry about choices any more, oh and in georgia. Voters were complaining about how many convenient ballot drop boxes were cluttering the streets, while, thankfully there's going to be a lot fewer of them and they're going to be a lot harder to find this november in iowa. The reducing early voting and closing the polls earlier on election day, which we can all agree, is great because who wants to vote after work? I mean that's prime netflix time. Baby democracy can wait now. All of these changes have just affected the process for voting, but some of america's most respected leaders also trying to fine tune the process for counting votes and they're. Doing this to make sure that the votes are counted, the right way, allies of donald trump are trying to
move some of the guard rails that prevented him from overturning the twenty twenty election. Now, according to the post trump and his supporters are pushing a plan to place loyalists in key election posts from pull watcher
an precinct judges to county clerks and state attorneys.
General. We have to be a lot sharper. The next time when it comes to counting the vote is a famous statement. Sometimes the vote counter is more important than the candidate and we can't let that ever ever happen again. They have to get tougher and smarter. Is that a famous saying, there's a famous saying that the vote count? I've never heard that saying in my entire life. I know I'm going to get a lot of flak for saying this, but trump is totally rights. He's right about being tough. You've got to count those votes hard. If you show any weakness, those ballots are going to take a girl and for trump to say the vote. Counter is more important than the candidate. I mean that just shows you how committed he is to ensuring the democratic process goes. The way he wanted to.
think about it, Donald trump said stop. Thinking about me show much it's unprecedented. So that's just some of the admirable work republicans have been getting up to you, but the Democrats have been trying to make changes of their own, and if you ask them, everyone should be able to vote with barely any effort which would be crazy,
because then everyone would vote including bill. Cosby, though,
having pushing their own laws in congress and last night they almost got their way
We're gonna begin with a major setback for democrats on capitol hill. What would have been there landmark voting rights will fail.
Fifty two to forty eight in the senate last night, with two democrats joining all fifty republicans in a poem
seeing a rules change to push it through. No surprise it was senators kirsten cinema and Joe Manchin who help republicans, kill hopes for filibuster reform and voting rights. Eliminating the filibuster would be the easy way out was meant to be easy. Yeah Joe mentioned his rights. Everything in the senate should be as difficult as possible. If democrats want a possible chuck, Schumer should have to carry it through a stage of american ninja warrior first, but, yes, republicans were able to use the filibuster to block the Democrats voting rights bill with the help of Democrats, Joe Manchin, kirsten cinema, because you see those two do support the democrats voting rights bills. They just don't support, making sure that they pass, which, when you think about it, is actually so inspiring. You know Joe mentioned and kirsten cinema believed so strongly in the power of voting that they use their vote
to block voting rights for the entire country, they they were unbolting bolting by voting. So it was the right thing for mentioning cinema to do, and basically everyone loves them for it, but, as usual, there are haters out there. Just don't get it if you think this bill make sense and if you're worried about the future of american democracy and if you are prepared to vote for the bill bill, why are you wait? State everybody's time and not voting for the rule. Change then allows us to pass the bill. It's like inviting somebody in a large putting on a great spread, and so you can eat,
This is why people shouldn't debate on an empty stomach. If we're not going to pass this bill, can someone at least pass me a goddamn sandwich, but this is just classic Bernie Sanders man. He thinks just because those two democrats say they support the bill. They should vote accordingly. Rarely Bernie, it's called politics, not logic, ticks see what I did there changed. It was politics, and I made it maybe if he had spoken after lunch, Bernie would have understood how much sense this makes, because what Joe mention is saying is. I want to help you out of the water not going to throw you a rope, but I want to throw you the rope.
And any droning men would agree, it's the thought that counts. Isn't that right, droning man can hear what you say, but he agrees show for whatever reason the right to vote has gotten people very passionate on both sides. In fact, it's become such a big deal that they even woke up Joe Biden so that he could win
with the voting rights push hitting a dead end. President Biden was asked whether this year's midterms would be fairly conducted and legitimate. After many republican led states enacted new voting restrictions all depends on
whether or not we are able to make
the keys to the american people that some of these-
been set up to try to alter the outcome of the election. It's never good for an american president to sow seeds of doubt and the legitimacy of american elections. The languages being used is clearly concerning thought that undermining our election results as a threat to our democracy. The last thing you wanted to hear was to hear from president Biden. There are questions about the legitimacy of the elections. You need the president's say now: we've got the best electoral system in the world as yeah. That's right, Joe Biden, needs to step up and say that not a single other country in the world has a better electoral system than america. People in denmark,
I wish they wish they could spend all of election day sweating in a high school Jim, I mean sure, that's why most
countries. Actually have the elections run by non partisan, independent commissions.
To make sure that politicians contwisted the boat,
laws for their own gain, but that would just be ridiculous. I mean think about it. You want the people in charge of the election to have some skin and the game right. That's how you know it's fair! Imagine how stupid it would be if a basketball game had a separate group of people on the court just to enforce the rules. That would make no sense. That's why instead, the strongest teams get to decide for themselves whether they committed any boughs, and that's why my friends, America's electoral system,
still the best and why nobody should ever say otherwise, because it's not true and also because, even if it was, it will be really uncomfortable to here. Mom guess why? What's up, we were in the woods: clang follow the leader on our bikes, sue, that's einstein and we saw a task watch family drinking caprice, sign k s ask watchman
we drinking caprice on yeah and we all want and they all went, and then we were all
like right. It was
oh epic, Jeffrey son, it's gonna, be epic, introducing ober teen accounts. If you have a teenager,
you probably drive them around a lot, maybe or even
driving memory. Now new albertini accounts are apparent, supervised uber account with always on safety features that, like your teen request, a ride. We you can't take them yourself. Your team gets to ride with a highly ray
it driver and you get to follow along with real time notifications and live trip tracking in your uber app. Add your team to your uber account today, available in select locations, see app for details.
Yesterday, the? U S, supreme court upheld a law in south carolina that requires mail in voters to have their absentee ballot witnessed by one other person which, in these days of pandemic isolation, is going to make it hard for some people to vote at all. It turns out those south carolina, isn't the only state
can it more difficult for people to vote by mail, and you asking how that can be well very well, with junior has more
no election is abundance. In both my mail.
The only way people will be able to vote safe, but not all states are making. It is the supreme court approving a request
south carolina to reinstate a law requiring absentee ballots to have a witnesses.
signature. The process of note arising your absentee ballot in Missouri has also been closely watched by local civil rights groups, and voters in texas are confused about what exactly is allowed in our state. If you put on your application that you want a vote by,
because of covered. That application must be rejected. Gale states
texas in south carolina really are actively limiting absentee voting to find out more. I spoke with Mr Peres, an expert in american voting rights. Madame Harris
bring up to speed rilke with where we were voting by mail in this country. Right now,
some glitches by every state in the country has about by mail.
process. We have been using vote by male since the civil war, but we still have a handful of states that are going to put barriers in front of the ballot box. Forcing people to choose between their health in exercising their fundamental right to the worst
It's like texas, making it so hard for people to vote by mail.
I think there is no other explanation other than their worried about how their own voters are going to vote makes perfect sense. The
well charge of voting, making sure that people can't vote feels very
american to me in what a surprise turns out. Most of the state push
back against both by mail are controlled by republicans, but maybe I'm not given republicans to benefit of the doubt, because if you ask them does say, there's a perfectly good reason
for limiting absentee ballot. President Tromp has worn for months set expanded voting by male because of the pandemic will lead to massive voter fraud. There'll be extraordinary confusion and chaos in the aftermath. It is open to fraud.
And coercion postman in a very
but can district, for example, could throw out every balloted. He gets there'll be no ramifications for that, we'll another
male mailman can be dangerous?
Where did these claims legit Kim women, one of the oh geez, a vote by mail?
Says her state system is proof that voting by mail works, our state votes entirely by mail, and we have since two thousand and eleven. So we mail every voter, that's eligible a ballot about twenty days before election day, and then they get to vote when it's convenient for them. Why should I trust your process watched it? The other forty nine states trust what you're doing, because we have have spent about twenty
years really fine tuning at building in the security measures. So when people attack it in and call it into question and say, there's fraud we can demonstrate that is secure and working show how it really empowers every one to two points
Have you told your republican colleagues in other states about this, because data
so interested in expanding vote by male. We ve been working with all fifty states and, and certainly different states are in different places in terms of technology and their capacity for male and voting by.
I think every one of my counterparts wants to empower their voters, give them options to be able to choose to butter
I bought ampersand and I am confident by by november they'll be ready. You say your office has been in contact with all the other states. Yes, we have, would you talk to texas one more time? I think they sent you to voicemail check with texas. I will wyman a Republican insist. They should not
The report is an issue, and yet it seems like it is colorado. Secretary of state jenna griswold has another word for it that is boat or suppression, trying to make it harder for americans too,
it is the best way about. During a pandemic is voter suppression. We shouldn't be forcing americans to risk their health, the cast a ballot,
a lot of republicans, don't like vote by mail and they use the argument of ballot tampering. You know you can take them.
I didn't throw about metreb somewhere, so what do you say to those credits? I'll tell you, colorado shows the opposite. In two out of our three last general alive
genes, more republican voters have used the male ballot Ben Democrats late. So republicans of fighting to start something that statistically
his work to their advantage in some states. You know that's totally true I'll work on it by the hand fiji would seem, like republicans just ate the whole, damn all so. Its voters, suppression, plain and simple, but with only weeks left until the ledge. Is there anything we?
due to ensure people's ability to vote less. Madam secretary, what you are doing is amazing. You have my full support, still too bad.
there's nothing I could do to help, but look good news for you
is that you can actually sign up to be a full worker. Oh
Oh you mean work at what they would
the legendary does it do they november birthday, yeah, I'm not open, I'm sorry, but it's ok right. We
early about it. Are you available act over ninety, get it Roy? I know you're not frozen how bout november second.
I'm frozen, I'm froze I'm for unfrozen, for the love of god, make sure you check with the states to book by mail. This long guess why? What's up, we were in the woods: clang follow the leader on our bikes, sue, that's einstein and precise: ask watch family drinking caprice, sign
kay us ask, watch family drinking caprice, son yeah, and we all want and they all went, and then we were all
like. Ah right it was
Oh epic, your free son, it's gonna, be epic, introducing albertini accounts and over account for your teen, with always on enhanced safety features. Your team can request a ride when you can take
you'll get real time notifications along the way your team can feel a sense of independence. You can follow their entire route on a live tracking map. Your teen will get assigned the top rated drivers. Sync you you will get peace of mind. Add your team to your uber account today, available in select locations, see app for details.
The
I guess my guess is the chair of african american studies at emory university and a new york times bestselling author, whose latest book is called one person no vote. I voted suppression is destroying our democracy. Please what
carol anderson the thank you it's so wonderful having you here and you wrote a book called white rage, which was a new york times best seller, where you spoke in depth about how america is dealing with an issue that it really hasn't dealt with completely, which is the rage that many white people feel at what appears to be america. Changing this book is, is, I guess, based in some way off of that and yet has a completely different topic. One person no vote for the suppression, destroying our democracy. How bad and how big do you believe voter suppression actually is? I think it is massive
We have had millions of people blocked from voting. We have had millions perch from the rolls who had been on the vote arose. The purging and the voters. Suppression has been so intense that we have donald trump in the white house right now. That's the point,
our voters, the numbers in in between sixteen election.
especially in and around the black vote, were really interesting. You used to in key states in swing states where voter turnout dropped from who may have been, like seventy eight thousand people turning out and dropped to below fifty thousand or you know you saw you- saw drastic drops now. Some people have argued that that was because Hillary Clinton didn't motivate black voters to come out, but you've looked at the data. You've analyzed a lot of the information and it seems like there's, been a systematic efforts to remove people of color from the voter rolls right. But why why people of color, though? It's because that after the two thousand and eight
election with Barack obama. Barack Obama brought fifteen million new voters to the poles. With that incredible ground game they were overwhelmingly black, latino young, poor and, and with that then the republican party that has moved further.
Further to the right and has become more and more white and in their policies, have become more right wing. They can. They don't have policies that resonate with the growing diversity of amerika S. So, instead of thinking about how do we reform this party so that it it resonates with america that our policies are really strong and talk about benefiting more americans instead, what they decided to do was to suppress the vote
now the argument, the other way from people like chris coal buck. You know from donald trump and his team has been. We are protecting democracy. That's why we scrub people of votes rules if they have died,
if they no longer respond to mail, then why are we keeping on keeping them on the voter rolls? How do you respond to that? And I responded that because one of the ways that this works in the by so effective is that they are able to use that cover of being reasonable. You know we're just keeping the voter rolls up, but when you really look at what they're doing is that those the people that they're scrubbing they're, not scrubbing people who have moved or who have died? Overwhelmingly overwhelmingly, who they're scrubbing, are people who are african,
americans, people who are young people who are poor and are doing it by the characteristics. So they can't say we know one black people to vote because there still this thing called the fifteenth amendment randal the voting rights act, god guided by the supreme court there. Still this thing called the fifteenth amendment. So what they do is they go after the characteristics of a people, suicidally imposed characteristics they go after those things like. If you move a lot and we know that people move a lot, particularly if your poor, you don't stay in the same house, writes that moving then becomes a reason to to knock people off the roles. Is there anything people on the ground can do? What can people do to her?
pick their votes. Yes, absolutely so there are several things one is you have to register to vote and there are organizations that are on the ground. Helping people like get the identification get the documents they need in order to get the identification organizations like vote writers that are that doing that work and also when you are registered check your and the secretaries of state's voter registration page to make sure you're registered to vote because they are notorious for purging people off the list. Even
will closely follow close to an election. So you think that are registered to vote. You go into vote and boom your names, nowhere there and then you're getting them run around right. I say I think gather thing is a really important is to help others so that your
fallen tearing you're you're going. You got election pole workers in an you you're paying attention to what's happening at the polls when somebody's getting the run around. I think that that is really important is well in their organizations, like the lawyers committee, by that that's doing that incredible work. So that's what we can do and register with the deadline is coming up in early october register to vote, because we cannot be
part of the solution. If we just sitting there on an end not participating
it's more shows from the daily show podcast universe by searching the daily show. Wherever you get your podcasts watch, the daily show weeknights at eleven ten central on comedy central and stream, full episodes anytime on Verma o'clock. This has been a comedy central podcast or introducing uber teen accounts and uber account for your teen, with always an enhanced safety features. Your team can recall
as to ride when you can't take them. You'll get real time notifications along the way your teen can feel a sense of independence. You can follow their entire route on a live tracking map. Your teen will get assigned the top rated drivers saying you you will get peace of mind. Add your team to your uber account today, available in select locations, see app for details
Companies that higher skills first find top talent faster and more efficiently, which makes those companies more likely to succeed. One ten km
companies and black talent with skills to do the job, no for your degree, required. I t experts who makes systems more secure project.
Managers, will increase efficiency and cut costs and thousands more who can help
Your company thrive higher skills
with one ten higher returns for your business learn.
At one ten dot. Org
Transcript generated on 2023-11-11.