Aug 20, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Hillary Clinton: We need "overwhelming" win so Trump can't "steal his way to victory"

In her address to the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, Hillary Clinton called for voters to turn out for Joe Biden in "overwhelming" numbers so that Trump can't "sneak or steal his way to victory," reminding the audience that she won the popular vote and still lost the election in 2016.

Why it matters: Clinton lost by a narrow margin of about 80,000 votes in three critical swing states in 2016. She used her address to the DNC to call on those who regret voting for Trump to immediately request their mail-in ballots or vote early in-person. "This can’t be another woulda-coulda-shoulda election," she said.

What she's saying: "Remember, Joe and Kamala can win by 3 million votes and still lose. Take it from me," Clinton said.

  • "Vote for parents struggling to balance their child’s education and their safety. And for health care workers fighting COVID-19 with no help from the White House. Vote for paid family leave and health care for everyone. Vote to protect Social Security, Medicare, reproductive rights, and our planet."
  • "Vote for DREAMers and their families. For law enforcement that serves and respects communities of color. Vote for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, because Black Lives Matter."
  • "Vote to make sure we—not a foreign adversary—choose our president. Vote for the America we saw in the roll call last night: diverse, compassionate, full of energy and hope. Vote like our lives and livelihoods are on the line, because they are."

Worth noting: Clinton paid tribute in her speech to Tyrone Gayle, Kamala Harris's former press secretary who died of cancer in 2018.

  • "When her press secretary Tyrone Gayle, a remarkable young man who had also worked on my campaign, was dying of cancer, [Harris] dropped everything to be with him in his final moments," Clinton said. "Because that’s who she is."

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Axios
Oct 24, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Murkowski says she'll vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court

Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Photo: Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said Saturday that she'll vote to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Monday, despite her opposition to the process that's recently transpired.

The big picture: Murkowski's decision leaves Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) as the only Republican expected to vote against Barrett.

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Mike Allen, author of AM
Oct 24, 2020 - Politics & Policy

No spinning needle on Election Night

The memory most likely to conjure Election Night 2016 nightmares for Democrats is The Needle, AP's David Bauder writes.

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Axios Events
Updated Oct 20, 2020 - Axios Events

Watch: A conversation on America's voting barriers

On Tuesday, October 23, Axios' Sara Kehaulani Goo, Margaret Talev, and Alexi McCammond hosted a virtual event on barriers to voting access across the country, featuring Southwest Voter Registration Education Project President Lydia Camarillo, U.S. Election Assistance Commission Chairman Benjamin Hovland, Florida Rights Restoration Coalition President Desmond Meade and "The West Wing" actors Janel Moloney and Richard Schiff.

Benjamin Hovland unpacked how to vote safely during this unprecedented year and highlighted the uptick in mail-in ballots and early voting.

  • On a notable increase in early ballots being cast: "We're seeing a surge in early in-person voting...We're already at around 30 million Americans that have already voted in the 2020 election, which is pretty remarkable."
  • On the impact of the pandemic on mail-in ballots: "About 25% of Americans vote by mail in a normal year, or in 2016. So we're going to see an increase probably closer to half."

Lydia Camarillo discussed the importance of the Latino electorate in American elections.

  • The impact on November's election: "I think that the Latino electorate can be the deciding factor in this election — in partnership with other groups like the Black community, the Muslim community, Asian American community and progressives. They will decide the election."

Desmond Meade, who helped lead the 2018 fight for Amendment 4 in Florida, unpacked the expansion of voting rights and Florida's impact on similar state-level policy changes across the country.

  • On restoring felon rights: "This thing has caught on like a wildfire. All across this country, people are really standing up. Because America is a nation of second chances. And it's showing up right now in a major way."

Janel Moloney and Richard Schiff discussed the recent "The West Wing" episode on HBO Max and the experience of reuniting as an ensemble cast.

  • Richard Schiff on the meaning of the episode: "It's a rare thing in this day and age around the world to have the privilege to vote and the right to vote. And we should be very careful to not let it be extinguished and that this episode addresses that."

Axios Vice President of Event Kristin Burkhalter hosted a View from the Top segment with Lyft Head of Policy Engagement and Strategic Partnerships Heather Foster who discussed how transportation plays a critical role in voting access.

  • "We took a look at the statistics that came out of 2016, and it was estimated at the time that more than 15 million eligible voters did not go to the polls because they lacked a way to get there."

This event was the first in a yearlong series called Hard Truths, where we'll be discussing the wide ranging impact of systemic racism in America. Read our deep dive on race and voting here.

Thank you Lyft for sponsoring this event.