Today at noon, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation will convene a post-election briefing at the National Press Club.
There will be two panel discussions, which I will moderate. The first panel will focus on what happened on Election Day, what didn’t happen and why.
With nearly 35,000 calls to the two national election protection hotlines, what didn’t happen was that the election went “smoothly.” At least not by the standards of folks who believe that every voter has the right to vote and to have his or her vote counted.
True believers like Melanie Campbell:
It’s been six years since the Florida election debacle and $3 billion spent to upgrade the basic machinery of our democracy. And sadly, election reform is still a work in progress.
Black voters were far more aware of their rights and what to do to make their votes count during this election cycle. Distrust of the electoral process shouldn’t be the primary concern on Election Day. Americans should be able to focus on electing the candidate of their choice and not have to worry about the voting process.
The second panel will look ahead to the 110th Congress and what black folks should expect – and demand – from a Democratic-controlled Congress. They will also look beyond the midterm elections and propose a framework for black civic participation and political empowerment in the 21st century.
The briefing, “Impact of the Black Vote on the Midterm Election Cycle,” will be held from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., in the Holeman Room of the National Press Club. To RSVP, call Nancy Harvin at (202) 659-4988 or click here.
