Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. Walter Fields On Their Voter Education And Turnout Efforts

AT THE END OF THAT LAW SEGMENT, I MENTIONED WHAT COULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD A QUESTION ON ELECTION DAY. 866 OUR VOTE IS THE NUMBER YOU CAN CALL FOR THE ELECTION PROTECTION HOTLINE. TODAY, WE CONTINUE OUR SERIES TALKING ABOUT ENGAGING VOTERS, MOBILIZING VOTERS, AND THE POWER OF THE VOTE WITH OUR

SERIES WITH THE DIVINE NINE, MOBILIZING THE BLACK OF OAT. THAT IS — COULD VERY WELL DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF MANY OF THESE RACES AND HAVE LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES — TODAY, WE ARE SPEAKING WITH AND HIGHLIGHTING IOTA FIVE DATA — BY 12 STUDENTS AT MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. THE 300 PLUS CHAPTERS, 50,000

INITIATED MEMBERS, THE ORGANIZATION WAS A STAB LIST WITH THE GOALS OF DEVELOPMENT AND A PERPETUATION OF SCHOLARSHIP, LEADERSHIP, CITIZENSHIP, FIDELITY AND BROTHERHOOD. AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE BEEN CHATTING WITH THE PRESIDENTS OF THE DIVINE NINE. HOWEVER, THE PRESIDENT COULD NOT JOIN US TODAY. BUT IN HIS PLACE, WE WELCOME THE GOOD BROTHER, WALTER

FIELDS. HE IS THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND — AND HE BROUGHT ME A GOOD GIFT TODAY. HE BROUGHT ME AN OLD-SCHOOL MSNBC PEN, BUT HE ALSO BROUGHT US A PROVISIONAL SAMPLE BALLOT. TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE WORK YOU ARE DOING IN ADVANCE OF THESE MIDTERM ELECTION. >> WE WERE BIRTHED IN THE

REVOLUTIONARY MOMENT OF THE 1960S. IT WAS FOUNDED FOUR DAYS AFTER FOR A LITTLE GIRLS WERE KILLED IN THE CHURCH BOMBING. OUR FRATERNITY IS ONE THAT HAS ALWAYS TAKEN THESE MATTERS SERIOUSLY AND FOR US, VOTING IS NOT AN EPISODIC EVENT. WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY DAY OF EVERY YEAR, WE ARE ENGAGED IN

SOME ACTIVITY TO REGISTER VOTERS, ENCOURAGE OUR MEMBERS TO GO OUT AND VOTE AND WORK IN A COMMUNITY TO RAISE IMPORTANT ISSUES. >> WE’VE TALKED A LOT THROUGHOUT THE DAY ABOUT VOTER INTIMIDATION EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN POPPING UP ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE THINK VOTER INTIMIDATION, I THINK THEY THINK THE SOUTH.

BUT IT IS HAPPENING ALL OVER OUR COUNTRY. WHAT IS YOUR FRATERNITY DOING TO ENSURE THAT NOT ONLY PEOPLE ARE EDUCATED ABOUT WHO IS ON THE BALLOT, BUT THAT THEY CAN SAFELY CAST THEIR BALLOTS? >> OUR BROTHERS WERE CERTAIN LADY BE AT THE POLLS AND ENCOURAGING GOTV EFFORTS. WE ARE REMINDING PEOPLE THAT

THE VERY IDEA OF AMERICA IS ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER. WE’RE AT THIS POINT WHERE WE HAVE FACTIONS IN THIS COUNTRY THAT ARE POSING AS PATRIOTS, BUT THEY’RE ACTUALLY TRAITORS AND THEY ARE DOING THEIR DARNDEST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERMINE OUR SYSTEM OF ELECTIONS. IOTA’S WILL BE OUT IN FORCE ON

ELECTION DAY, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE AT THE POLLS AND PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT AND THE CAN EXERCISE A ROLE BECAUSE WE KNOW IN SOME STATES, NORTH SOUTH, EAST AND WEST, THERE WILL BE INTIMIDATING — >> I CALL THIS A PROVISIONAL BALLOT EARLIER. I WILL HOLD THIS UP SO PEOPLE CAN SEE.

CAN OTHER PEOPLE GET THIS? I’M SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT THIS IN TODAY. THIS IS AN OFFICIAL SAMPLE BALLOT FROM PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY. BUT THEY’RE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, RIGHT? >> IF YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED ONE IN THE MAIL, WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IS GO TO YOUR COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS.

IT’S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU READ YOUR SAMPLE BALLOT BECAUSE THIS ELECTION ISN’T JUST ABOUT CONGRESSIONAL RACES. YOU NEED TO LOOK UP AND DOWN THE BALLOT. WE KNOW HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ARE BEING POURED INTO LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD RACES, SO WITH ISSUES OF CURRICULUM AND BANNING BOOKS, ALL OF THIS IS IMPORTANT.

YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS ON YOUR BALLOT. YOU NEED TO KNOW WHO’S RUNNING. YOU NEED TO READ THOSE BALLOT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS BECAUSE WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE’S AN EFFORT TO UNDERMINE STATE CONSTITUTIONS. SO, THE REASON WHY SAMPLE BALLOTS ARE IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE MANY VOTERS JUST WALK

INTO A BOOT AND PULL THE LEVER WITHOUT FIRST HAVING REVIEWED THEIR SAMPLE BALLOT. SOME VOTERS DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW TO VOTE BECAUSE NOW IT’S ELECTRONIC VOTING, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO USING THE NEW VOTING MACHINES. SO, YOUR SIMPLE BALLOT IS REALLY ELECTION GUIDE AND IF

YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED ONE, I URGE YOU TO CONTACT YOUR COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS BECAUSE AS A REGISTERED VOTER, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE A SAMPLE BALLOT BEFORE THE ACTUAL ELECTION. >> I AM SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT THIS IN. YOU ARE THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND CHAIRMAN OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS FOR IOTA —

source