* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Press Conference: "Conversation on Voter Rights"] [00:00:19] LET ME THANK ALL OF THESE, UH, MAYORS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM, FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, UH, FOR BEING HERE IN HOUSTON, UH, FOR THIS NATIONAL NONPARTISAN VOTER, UH, RIGHTS, UH, CONFERENCE. UM, AND LEMME TELL YOU, I I, I'M, I'M JUST VERY, VERY EXCITED BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH CONVERSATION, UH, UM, I DON'T FEEL LIKE I WANT TO TOUCH IT. SEEM LIKE THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH CONVERSATION ABOUT VOTING AND ELECTIONS IN SUCH A PARTISAN FASHION. UH, THAT ONE MAY WONDER, CAN YOU HAVE A NATIONAL CONFERENCE, MAYOR HANCOCK, ON, ON VOTING AND, UH, UH, WHERE IT IS BIPARTISAN OR NONPARTISAN, HOWEVER, WHICHEVER TERM YOU WANT TO USE IN NATURE. AND I WILL TELL YOU THE ANSWER IS EMPHATICALLY YES. UH, THERE ARE SIX, UH, MAYORS WHO ARE HOSTING THIS EVENT, UH, MAYOR HANCOCK, WHO STARTED THIS NATIONAL CONFERENCE OUT OF DENVER. AND YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM HIM VERY SHORTLY. UH, AND, AND IT IS IMPORTANT JUST TO SAY THE TITLE BECAUSE HE'S A DEMOCRAT. OKAY? UH, AND THEN, UH, UH, MAYOR REGINA ROMERO, UM, UH, OUT OF TUCSON, UH, ARIZONA IS A DEMOCRAT. AND, UH, AND, AND THEN WE HAVE MAYOR, UH, CORNETTA WARREN OUTTA FONTANA, CALIFORNIA, UH, WHO IS A REPUBLICAN. THERE SHE IS. MM-HMM . AND, UH, AND THEN YOU HAVE MAYOR HOLT, WHO WILL BE ARRIVING HERE IN ABOUT AN HOUR FROM OKLAHOMA CITY, WHO IS A REPUBLICAN. AND THEN YOU HAVE MAYOR, UH, MAYOR GILES OUT OF MESA, ARIZONA, WHO'S HERE. AND YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM HIM MEETING AFTER ME, WHO IS A REPUBLICAN. SO YOU HAVE SIX MAYORS WHO ARE HOSTING THREE DEMOCRATS AND THREE REPUBLICANS. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? AND WE ALL GET ALONG . WE'VE ALL WORKED VERY CLOSELY THROUGH THE NA US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND, UH, HAVE COME TOGETHER. AND THEN WE HAVE MAYORS COMING FROM ALL OTHER CITIES, UH, WHO ARE HERE TODAY. AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THESE OTHER MAYORS WHO ARE BEING, WHO ARE PRESENT. WE HAVE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, AGAIN, IN A VERY BIPARTISAN FASHION, UH, WHO ARE PARTICIPATING COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, UH, COUNTY ATTORNEYS, AND OTHERS WHO ARE STANDING WITH US. SO I'M JUST VERY, VERY EXCITED. UM, ONE OF THE MAJOR SPONSORS OF THIS GROUP, CO-SPONSOR THIS GROUP, IS THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES THAT'S ALSO VERY BIPARTISAN IN IN NATURE. CLARENCE ANTHONY. WHERE'S CLARENCE? CAN I SHARE? HE IS, HE IS ON HIS WAY. BUT THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES IS ALSO A VERY IMPORTANT PART. AND THEN MS. JOYCE LE BON PARK, WHO'S PRESIDENT OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF TEXAS, IS ALSO WITH US TODAY, ALONG WITH SO MANY, MANY OTHERS. WE HAVE OVER 300 REGISTRANTS AND ATTENDANCE FOR THIS CONVERSATION, WHERE OUR FOCUS IS STRENGTHENING AND PROVIDING MUNICIPALITIES WITH TOOLS TO EMPOWER, ENGAGE, AND INFORM VOTER ACCESS. AND LOOK WHEN IT COMES TO VOTER REGISTRATION, WHEN THAT'S NONPARTISAN, WHEN IT COMES TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE BY WHICH TO VOTE, THAT'S NONPARTISAN, OR AT LEAST SHOULD BE. AND WHEN IT COMES TO JUST COUNTING THE BALLOTS, THAT SHOULD BE NONPARTISAN. AND I'M VERY PLEASED TO SAY THAT NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE THESE POLITICAL LEADERS OR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OTHERS, UH, BUT THIS CONFERENCE IS STRONGLY SUPPORTED BY THE, UH, SPONSORSHIPS OF BUSINESSES AND ENDOWMENTS, CORPORATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. AND FOR THAT, I'M EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY PLEASED. UM, AND MANY OF THEM, UH, YOU WILL SEE ON OUR BOARD, UH, THAT ARE SPONSORING THIS EVENT. AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR SPONSORS, UH, CORPORATIONS WHO ARE SUPPORTING US ON THIS, ON THIS DEAL. SO, UH, LET ME JUST STOP. LET ME BRING UP, UM, UH, MAYOR GILES. WE'VE ALREADY HAD SOME VERY ROBUST AND VIGOROUS CONVERSATIONS MM-HMM . ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ABOUT MAKING SURE, UM, UM, UH, MAYOR GILES, THAT WE REACH EVERY, EVERY GROUP. DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, L-G-B-T-Q, UH, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, UH, WOMEN, MEN, UM, VETERANS, UH, THAT YOUNG GROUP, CITIES UNITED. I HAVE TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO THEM, UH, BECAUSE THE CITIES UNITED IS THIS YOUNG GROUP, AND THEY ARE ACTIVELY, ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN VOTER PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT. AND THEN IN [00:05:01] ONE PANEL THAT I'VE PARTICIPATED ON, ON, WE ASKED, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR THE GROUP 30 AND BELOW, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, PROBABLY 40% OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THAT SESSION WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 30 AND, UH, COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NOW LET ME, LET ME TURN IT OVER TO MAYOR GIL FROM MESA, ARIZONA. YEAH, THANK YOU, MAYOR TURNER. THE ONLY THING I I WOULD, I WOULD TAKE ISSUE WITH IS YOU, YOU SAID THAT WE GET ALONG AND WE GET A, I'LL DO A LOT MORE THAN GET ALONG, UH, MAYOR'S, UH, I, I, I SO, UH, ADMIRE AND RESPECT, UH, MAYOR TURNER FOR HIS LEADERSHIP, AND NOT JUST AT HOUSTON, BUT AT A NATIONAL LEVEL. MAYOR, MAYOR, MAYOR HANCOCK MAYOR, UH, UH, UH, FISHER, UH, JOINING US FROM LOUISVILLE, UH, MAYOR QUANETTA WARREN FROM FONTANA. THESE, UH, ARE FOLKS THAT, THAT, UH, I ARE ON THE TOP TIER IN, IN MY ESTIMATION OF LEADERS IN OUR COUNTRY. AND, AND AT A LOCAL LEVEL, WE GET THINGS DONE. UH, SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS AT, IN, IN, IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN MESA, ARIZONA ARE DEMOCRATS. AND IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER. UH, AND, AND THIS IS VOTING RIGHTS HAS GOTTA BE ABSOLUTELY EMBRACE IS ONE OF THOSE ISSUES. UH, SIX 20, SINCE 2020, ARIZONA'S VOTING PROCESS HAS BEEN UNDER A HEAT LAMP OF SCRUTINY. I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THAT ANALOGY. I REALLY , THANK YOU. AS YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR, FOLLOWING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CLAIMS OF VOTER FRAUD, VOTER FRAUD SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE, CONSPIRACY THEORIES HAVE FUELED AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF INTEREST IN MY STATE'S VOTING PROCESSES THAT'S BEEN AMPLIFIED BY THE NARROW MARGIN IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. IF EVER THERE WAS DOUBT IN YOUR MIND THAT YOU, THAT YOUR VOTE MADE A DIFFERENCE, THAT ELECTION IN MY COUNTY WAS ABSOLUTELY A REMINDER THAT IT DOES. THE MARICOPA COUNTY RECORDER'S OFFICE AND THE VOTING MACHINES, LINES OF POLLING PLACES, MAIL-IN PROCESSES, EVEN THE PENS THAT WE USE TO MARK OUR BALLOTS HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT VERY CLOSELY AND LITIGATED AND MADE SUBJECT TO, TO NATIONAL SCRUTINY. DESPITE THE CLAIMS OF VOTER FRAUD, HAVING BEEN DISPROVEN REPEATEDLY, AND VOTING AND TABULATION PROCESSES BEING REVIEWED WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB AND MAGNIFYING GLASS, THERE IS STILL A HEAVY CLOUD HANGING OVER THIS MOST IMPORTANT OF DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES. IT'S NEVER A BAD THING TO HAVE OUR PUBLIC PROCESSES REVIEWED IN GOOD FAITH. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF TRANSPARENCY. HOPEFULLY HAVING GONE THROUGH THIS LAST YEAR AND, UH, HALF OF EXAMINE, UH, AND, AND, UH, HALF THAT LAST YEAR AND A HALF OF EXAMINATION DOES IMPROVE OUR PROCESSES FOR THE LONG TERM. BUT IN THIS CASE, IN LARGE PART, DUE TO ONGOING MISINFORMATION AND DECEIT, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK TO DO TO REPAIR TRUST AND REENGAGE OUR RESIDENTS IN CIVIC PARTICIPATION. WE NEED TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS TO UNDERSTANDING THE VOTING PROCESS, TO RESTORE TRUST THROUGH EDUCATION, ENGAGEMENT AND TRANSPARENCY, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY FIGHT AGAINST VOTER SUPPRESSION AND REMOVE OBSTACLES TO VOTE. IN ARIZONA, WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF ELECTION, UH, AND VOTER RELATED PIECES OF LEGISLATION AND REDUCED SINCE THE 2020 ELECTION. BILLS THAT AIM TO DIMINISH EARLY IN MAIL-IN VOTING HAVE EMERGED. MAIL-IN VOTING IS GREAT. IT WORKS, UH, VERY WELL IN MY STATE, AND I CAN'T RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH. THIS IS NOT UNIQUE TO, TO ARIZONA. THIS IS A CORROSIVE TREND IN STATES ACROSS OUR UNITED STATES. GOOD NEWS, THOUGH, ARIZONA'S MOST RECENT PRIMARY ELECTION SET A RECORD TURNOUT AND THE USE OF EARLY VOTING PROCESSES IS ON THE RISE IN OUR STATE. DESPITE THE LOUD NARRATIVE ABOUT OUR VOTING PROCESSES, PEOPLE ARE CONTINUING TO SHOW UP. WE'RE ALL HERE BECAUSE WE AGREE WITH AND WE WANT TO SUPPORT ELECTION INTEGRITY. I'M PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT MEANINGFUL WAYS TO RESTORE TRUST AND REENGAGE ALL PEOPLE IN MAKING SURE THEIR VOICE IS HEARD IN OUR FUTURE ELECTION. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR CONVENING THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC. IT COULDN'T BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR GILES. AND LOOK, I HAVE THE, AND LET ME BRING TO THE PODIUM NOW. UH, SOMEONE WHO'S GOT HIS VISION GOT US STARTED, AN INCREDIBLE MAYOR, UH, HAS BEEN THE MAYOR OF DENVER NOW, UM, NEXT YEAR I THINK WILL BE 12 YEARS. UM, I'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM HIM. I'VE COPIED A LOT FROM HIM, UH, AND, UH, MAYOR FISHER. AND WHEN I CAME IN, UH, WAS MAYOR HANCOCK, MAYOR BENJAMIN AND MAYOR FISHER, UH, FROM LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, THOSE THREE WHO TOOK ME UNDER THEIR WING. AND, UH, I THINK I'M FLYING PRETTY GOOD , BUT, UH, MAYOR HANCOCK HAD THIS VISION OF THIS NATIONAL NONPARTISAN VOTER RIGHTS CONFERENCE. AND SO PLEASE WELCOME TO THE PODIUM MAYOR MICHAEL HANCOCK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LET ME THANK MY BROTHER AND FRIEND, [00:10:01] MAYOR TURNER. FOR ONE, HAVING THE COURAGE AND WILLINGNESS TO HOST US HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS FOR THIS VERY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. THERE IS NOTHING MORE FOUNDATIONAL TO OUR DEMOCRACY THAN THE FREEDOM AND THE RIGHT TO VOTE. AND WHEN THAT IS THREATENED, WHEN THAT IS IMPERILED, WHEN BARRIERS ARE ERECTED FOR THE EXERCISE THEREOF. AND WE AS AMERICANS MUST DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO REMOVE THOSE THREATS, TO OBLITERATE THE PERIL, TO BREAK DOWN THOSE BARRIERS. AND WHAT WE HAVE SEEN ACROSS THIS NATION SINCE THE 2019 ELECTION IS A SYS, SYSTEMATIC, VERY BOLD EFFORTS TO ROLL BACK THE PROGRESS THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE MARCHED FOR, DIED FOR, OR AT THE VERY LEAST, BLED FOR ALL OF US TO BE ABLE TO EXERCISE IN THIS NATION. MM, SOME 500 PIECES OF LEGISLATION HAVE BEEN PROPOSED ACROSS THIS NATION SINCE 2019 TO SUPPRESS VOTER RIGHTS. 34 STATES, MORE THAN THREE QUARTERS OF THIS NATION HAVE PASSED LEGISLATION TO SUPPRESS THE RIGHT TO VOTE. SO WHY ARE WE HERE? IS TO PICK UP THE BATON FROM THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US, WHO FOUGHT, WHO BLED AND DIED FOR OUR RIGHT TO VOTE. AND SIMPLY SAY, IT'S OUR TIME TO CARRY ON THE MOVEMENT TO CONTINUE VOTER RIGHTS IN THIS NATION. WE'RE HERE TO ACCOMPLISH THREE THINGS. ONE, TO BEGIN THAT MOVEMENT ACROSS THIS NATION AND NOT ALLOW THOSE WHO DESIRE TO SUPPRESS THE VOTE, TO BE THE ONLY ONES WORKING IN THIS SPACE, INCLUDING HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, MY NATIVE STATE. AND TWO, TO RAISE AWARENESS ACROSS THIS NATION AS TO WHAT'S HAPPENING. AND TO REMIND ALL AMERICANS THAT THE RIGHT TO VOTE IS AN INALIENABLE RIGHT FOR EVERY US CITIZEN IN THIS NATION. AND THEN FINALLY, TO OFFER TOOLS BECAUSE WHILE STATES OVERSEE THE ELECTION PROCESS IS ACTUAL THE COUNTY AND LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO ADMINISTER THE VOTING PROCESS. AND SO OUR PLAYBOOK THAT WE STARTED IN DENVER, UH, WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ELECTED OFFICIALS ALL OVER THIS NATION AND ACTIVIST GROUPS, UH, AND THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC, WHICH SHOULD BE EVERY AMERICAN, TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE SOME TOOLS SUGGESTED TO THEM, HOW WE CAN NAVIGATE THIS ON OUR, THIS, THIS ONSLAUGHT OF OUR FREEDOM TO VOTE IN THIS NATION. SO MAYOR TURNER, I AM HONORED TO BE HERE ON MAYOR. I'M HONORED TO STAND WITH ALL THESE GREAT ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM AROUND THE NATION, NONPARTISAN REPUBLICAN DEMOCRATS AND ALL AFFILIATES SAYING WE BELIEVE IN OUR FOUNDATIONAL RIGHT TO VOTE, AND WE WILL NOT STAND PAT WHILE THE ASSAULT OCCURS ON THAT. RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU VERY. AND YOU KNOW, UH, I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO ASK, UM, A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, YEAH. UH, TO COME TO THE PODIUM. HE'S HERE, UH, REPRESENTING THE GRAY CITY OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, BUT HE'S ALSO A FORMER PRESIDENT, NOT JUST RECENTLY, UM, OF THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS. LET ME ASK, UH, MAYOR GRAY. YEAH, THANK YOU, MAYOR TURNER, ONE OF THE GREAT MAYORS IN AMERICA, AND I'M PROUD TO CALL HIM AND MAYOR HANCOCK, DEAR BROTHERS AND FRIENDS, AS WE'VE FOUGHT FOR SO MANY THINGS OVER THE YEARS. BUT IT HAS BEEN SAID, AMERICA'S AT A CROSSROADS RIGHT NOW, SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH. AND THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE BRANDING THEIR TRUTH AROUND FALSEHOODS THAT ARE NOT A MAJOR DISTRACTION TO OUR COUNTRY, BUT A MAJOR THREAT TO OUR COUNTRY. AND WE DESERVE TO HAVE FREEDOM TO VOTE IN OUR COUNTRY. AND THE CONSISTENT 500 ATTEMPTS TO TAKE AWAY OUR RIGHTS TO VOTE SHOULD BE SOMETHING WHERE THE WHOLE NATION IS UP IN ARMS. AND SO PERHAPS IT'S UP TO THIS GROUP TO START THAT REVOLUTION, TO RETURN THE RIGHT TO VOTE, WHERE PEOPLE ARE AFFRONTED, INSULTED BY THE FOLKS THAT TRY TO UNDERMINE [00:15:01] OUR VERY DEMOCRACY AND THOSE THAT FOUGHT FOR IT. AND IT'S HAPPENING IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS RIGHT NOW, VOTING, UH, WOMEN'S RIGHT TO MAKE OUR OWN HEALTHCARE CHOICES. THINGS WE WOULD'VE THOUGHT UNIMAGINABLE, WOO-HOO DECADES AGO, ARE NOW THREATENING THE VERY FABRIC OF OUR NATION. SO THEY SAY DEMOCRACY DIES BY A THOUSAND CUTS, BUT TAKEN AWAY THE RIGHT TO VOTE IS A WOUND, A DEEP WOUND. IT'S NOT JUST A CUT. SO IF WE HAVE ONE PLACE TO START, THIS IS THE PLACE AND THIS IS THE TIME RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU, MA'AM. AND THEN LASTLY, WE'LL TAKE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT I, BUT LOOK, UM, BIPARTISAN IN NATURE, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT DIVERSITY TOO. AND, UH, MAYOR QUANETTA WARREN, UH, FROM FONTANA, CALIFORNIA, UH, IS A STRONG, STRONG, UH, ACTIVE PARTICIPANT, UH, WITH MANY BI ORGANIZATIONS, UH, WOMAN AND ALSO A REPUBLICAN, UH, AND ONE OF THE CO-HOSTS OF THIS EVENT. AND SHE, SHE STANDS ON HER OWN, YOU KNOW, SO LET ME, LET ME INVITE MAYOR AQUIN. WARREN, THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT'S SUCH A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE TODAY AND THIS GREAT, GREAT CITY AND BE AMONGST THESE GREAT MAYORS. THIS YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT AN HONOR, BUT IT'S ALSO A PRIVILEGE TO TELL YOU THAT HISTORICALLY AS I WAS GROWING UP, MY PARENTS WERE FROM BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, LISTENING TO MY GRANDMOTHER TALK ABOUT THEY WERE GONNA HAVE TO COUNT THE JELLY BEANS IN A JAR IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO VOTE. ALL OF THESE THINGS RESONATE HARD IN OUR HEARTS, NO MATTER WHAT PARTY YOU'RE FROM, NO MATTER WHAT GENDER. BUT WE AS AMERICA, WE MUST UNITE. THE RIGHT TO VOTE HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS NEVER QUESTIONED. AND LOCALLY, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS TRUST THE SYSTEMS THAT THEY VOTE IN. AND THAT'S WHERE IT BECOMES A REAL CHALLENGE TO MAKE PEOPLE CLEAR THAT LOCALLY WE ALL COUNT. AND THAT IS WHAT CITY, COUNTY, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE TRUST WHAT WE ARE DOING IS ACCURATE. ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE HAVE SEEN IS CONFERENCES LIKE THIS, BUT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO RAISE THEM UP NOW TO UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLE. AND THEIR ROLE IS TO TAKE ON THEIR RIGHT. SO I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THESE CONVERSATIONS. AND I GOTTA SAY, BEST PRACTICES ARE SOMETHING THAT EVERY LOCAL PERSON ALWAYS LOOKS AT. WHY REINVENT THE WHEEL WHEN YOU CAN STEAL FROM GREAT MAYORS RIGHT HERE, . SO THESE TYPES OF DISCUSSIONS BECOME BEST PRACTICES, AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, THE ENTIRE NATION IS ON ONE PAGE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO CAN I, CAN A COUNTRY BE UNITED? UH, WHEN YOU COME TALKING ABOUT VOTING, THE ANSWER IS YES. JUST TURN TO YOUR MAYORS AND WE CAN GET IT DONE. . UM, AND THEN I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE SPONSORS TO THIS EVENT, AND WE'LL TAKE WHATEVER QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. UH, HOUSTON ENDOWMENT IS THE TITLE SPONSOR. UH, AND, AND THEN THE PRESENTING SPONSORS ARE JACOBS ENGINEERING, HNTB, HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION, HILL DAY, COMCAST, AT AND T CENTER POINT ENERGY CENTER FOR TECH AND CIVIC LIFE, THE HOUSTON AIRPORT SYSTEMS, HEB, HENSEL FELTS, CAMDEN LIVING RAY TECH, CONSTRUCTION RESOURCES, TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION, AND OF COURSE, MY ALMA MATER, THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON. UM, AND THEN I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, JUST MY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, THE MAYOR PRO TEM, DAVE MARTIN, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE THE VICE MAYOR PRO TEM MARTHA CASTEK TATUM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT GALLEGOS, AND COUNCIL MEMBER LAWRENCE DAVID ROBINSON. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING, FOR BEING PRESENT. NOW, UM, WE'RE AND WE'LL COME AND TAKE, WE'LL TAKE WHATEVER QUESTIONS THAT INTERVIEW MAY HAVE. AARON, ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS. YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO TRUST IN, IN THE LOCAL SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO VOTE. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THERE? DO YOU SEE AS FAR AS IN MAKING PEOPLE UN ABLE TO TRUST THE SYSTEMS AGAIN? 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISTRUST SO IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, BUT WHAT SPECIFIC THINGS DO YOU THINK NEED TO BE DONE TO, TO RESTORE THAT TRUST IN, IN LOCALLY AS FAR AS IN, IN THOSE SYSTEMS FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO BARRIERS ERECTED FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE. AND WHEN YOU ASK PEOPLE TO TRAVEL ACROSS, UH, A CITY THE SIZE OF HOUSTON TO VOTE AT ONE DROP OFF LOCATION, THAT IS A PROBLEM. UM, YOU HAVE SENT, YOU HAVE BASICALLY DISENFRANCHISED A LARGE SWATH OF YOUR POPULATION, OF YOUR VOTERS, UM, YOUR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PEOPLE WHO [00:20:01] MAY HAVE LIMITED MOBILITY OPTIONS IN TERMS OF VEHICLES OR OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS. UH, ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BE AS MOBILE, UM, TO, TO VOTE. UM, L-G-B-T-Q, THE LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, YOU BEGIN TO GIVE A NARRATIVE THAT ONLY CERTAIN PEOPLE ARE AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY, AND WE CARE ABOUT VOTING. SO IT'S POLITICIANS SELECTING THEIR VOTERS INSTEAD OF VOTERS SELECTING THEIR POLITICIANS. AND SO WE, WE NEED TO, UM, IF WE WANT TO BREED TRUST, WE NEED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE TRUST THE VOTERS TO HAVE UNIMPEDED ACCESS TO THE BALLOT BOX, TO SELECT THEIR LEADERS, HOLD INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUALS ACCOUNTABLE. AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU BEGIN TO BREED TRUST, LET IT BE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE DECISIONS. AND BY DOING SO, YOU ALLOW 'EM TO HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE AND HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD. THE ONE THING I WOULD, I WOULD ADD TOO, IS THAT, UM, THIS IS NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY. YEAH, OKAY. VOTER REGISTRATION SHOULD BE NONPARTISAN. OKAY. EVERYBODY WHO'S ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN THE UNITED STATES, UM, SHOULD BE REGISTERED TO VOTE, AND THEN THEY CAN VOTE FOR WHOMEVER THEY WANT TO VOTE FOR. OKAY. SO I THINK THE POINT THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE IS THAT WHEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE BECOMES PARTISAN, THEN IT BREEDS THIS TRUST. YEAH. SO WHEN YOU, WHEN REGISTRATION BECOMES PARTISAN, UH, WHEN, UH, THE RIGHT TO VOTE, REGARDLESS OF WHO YOU'RE VOTING FOR BECOMES PARTISAN, AND THEN WHEN THE THOSE VOTES ARE, ARE, UH, COUNTED, WHEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE BECOMES PARTISAN, THEN THAT BREEDS DISTRUST. I THINK WE ARE ALL STANDING HERE TO TOGETHER DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ELECTED OFFICIALS ON ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS, UH, TO SAY THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE SHOULD BE NONPARTISAN. ABSOLUTELY THE CAMPAIGNS CAN GO AND DO WHAT THEY DO, BUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR DEMOCRACY IS NONPARTISAN. AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THEN I THINK, UH, PEOPLE CAN START TRUSTING THE SYSTEM, RESPECTING THE PROCESS, AND THEN FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE OUTCOME REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT MAY BE. I KNOW FOR ME, I'VE BEEN ON THE SHORT END SEVERAL TIMES, SO, YOU KNOW, WELL SAID . WELL SAID. WELL SAID. YES, MA'AM. UH, I KNOW, UM, MAYOR WARREN HAD MENTIONED THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT HERE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL, RIGHT? SO AS FAR AS REGISTERING, UH, OUR, GETTING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE RILED UP FOR THIS PROCESS, WE KNOW OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TOUGH, YOU KNOW, JUST TO GET THE ATTENTION RIGHT. SO, UH, FROM YOU ALSO, IF ANYBODY CAN ANSWER THIS MAYOR TOO, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR REVIEW COUNCIL, UH, HOW ARE YOU, UH, GATHERING OUR YOUNG FOLK, UH, TO REALLY GET OUT THERE AND VOTE BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR PARTNER? AND IF THEY'RE NOT, IF WE'RE NOT GETTING 'EM NOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA GET THEM MOVING FORWARD? AND THIS IS GONNA BE A TOUGH, TOUGH SEASON. IT IS GONNA BE A TOUGH SEASON, BUT WE'RE ALL UP FOR THE FIGHT. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT IS, RIGHT? AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT JUST AS WE'RE BROUGHT UP IN ONE OF THE SESSIONS, WE HAVE TO PEER TO PEER. WE HAVE TO GET PEOPLE AT THAT AGE GROUP EXCITED THEM TO GO OUT AND GET THEIR FRIENDS INVOLVED. AND WE HAVE TO MEET EVERYBODY WHERE THEY ARE. ONE DISCUSSIONS THAT CAME UP IN OUR SESSION WAS OUR PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED. A LOT OF THEM ARE YOUNG PEOPLE. HOW DO WE GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND THEY STILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT ON PAROLE OR PROBATION. SO I'M JUST SAYING IT IS DOABLE, BUT IT TAKES EXCITEMENT FROM ALL OF US THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE COUNTRY. BUT WE HAVE TO DO THOSE THINGS TO MAKE SURE THEY STAY INVOLVED. YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT CITIES UNITED? YEAH. I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT. AND THIS, I DON'T SEE THEM IN THE ROOM. ARE YOU CITIES UNITED IN THE ROOM? THEY WERE HERE. THERE'S SOME IN THE BACK THERE. YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE'VE DONE THIS. STARTING IN DENVER, NOW IN HOUSTON, CITIES UNITED, WE'RE IN DENVER. AND I THINK THOSE YOUNG WE HAVE, WE ARE INTENTIONALLY ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE BECAUSE WE WANT TO HEAR THEIR VOICES FOR THE VERY QUESTION YOU JUST ASKED, HOW DO WE ENGAGE, UM, OUR YOUNGER VOTERS BEYOND EPISODIC, UH, OPPORTUNITIES, RIGHT? UM, WE KNOW OUR YOUNG VOTERS TEND TO BE EPISODIC. SOMETHING EXCITES THEM. THEY CARE ABOUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT. SO THEY SHOW UP, UM, WHAT THEY'RE WORKING WITH US. AND THE REASON WHY WE HAVE THEM HERE IS BECAUSE THEY SHARE WITH US THE SECRET SAUCE OF HOW WE KEEP OUR YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED AND PASS ON THE LEGACY OF ACCOUNTABILITY. YOU KNOW, SOME OF US, UH, NAMELY THOSE OF US OF COLOR DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE AN OPTION NOT TO VOTE. IT'S AN OBLIGATION. SOMEONE DIED FOR ME TO HAVE THIS, RIGHT? I'M SHOWING UP AND I'M GONNA FIGURE OUT WHAT I'M VOTING FOR. AND I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO PASS THAT ON TO YOUNG PEOPLE AS WELL, NO MATTER WHAT AGE, WHAT COLOR, PERSUASION. BUT THEY GOTTA UNDERSTAND THEIR HISTORY, HOW THEY GOT TO THIS POINT, AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR OBLIGATION IS COMING. COME [00:25:01] ON UP HERE, CITIES, UNITED. I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO SEE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, THE ONE, THE ONE THAT'S IN THE ROOM, , BECAUSE THEY LIT US UP IN DENVER. THEY EXCITED US. THERE'S A YOUNG MAN PUT, COME TELL THEM HOW TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE EXCITED TO VOTE. PUT YOU OUT THERE. YEAH. THANK YOU. HOW Y'ALL DOING? I'M MICHAEL THOMPSON WITH CD UNITED. UM, THIS, THIS, MY GENERATION, LIKE, IT'S TIME FOR US TO LIKE STEP UP AND IT'S TIME FOR OUR, THE GENERATION THAT CAME BEFORE US TO PASS THE BATON BECAUSE STUFF IS CHANGING AND DEFINITELY DO NOT WANT TO GO BACK. BUT MY GRANDPARENTS LIVED IN THE SIXTIES, SO I'M TRYING MY BEST TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THE PEOPLE, MY GENERATION, AND TO KEEP GOING AND GETTING ENGAGED IN THE VOTING SYSTEM BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT DON'T BELIEVE IN THE SYSTEM. MY VOTE DON'T COUNT, BUT OUR VOTE DO COUNT POLICY IS SO IMPORTANT. AND I'M FIGHTING FOR THEM. I'M FIGHTING FOR 'EM WHEN I HAVE KIDS. I WANT THEM TO BE IN, IN THE VOTING SYSTEM AND STUFF. SO, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. UH, YES, SIR. UM, THIS IS JUST A GENERAL QUESTION FOR YOU MAYORS, BUT, UH, LET'S SAY FOR INSTANCE, A STATE LAW IS PASSED. WHAT CAN MAYORS IN GENERAL DO TO MAKE THEIR CITIZENS FEEL INVOLVED OR FEEL LIKE THEY'RE IN THE LOOP? THAT IT IS THE LAW THAT'S BEING PASSED, IT AFFECTS THEM IN A GOOD WAY, OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S FOR THE CITIZENS' SAKE, MAN. JOHN, DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT? SURE. YOU TALKED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN EVERYTHING. YOU KNOW, WISE MAN ONCE SAID THAT ALL POLITICS ARE LOCAL. AND I, I THINK IT, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HELP OUR, UH, PARTICULARLY THE YOUNGER GENERATION, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT JUST GONNA TAKE IT AS A GIVEN THAT THEY, THAT THEY NEED TO VOTE. WE NEED TO MAKE THE VALUE PROPOSITION AS TO WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO VOTE. UH, THERE'S GONNA BE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPENT IN, IN MY COUNTY, UH, SENDING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, MOTIVATING PEOPLE TO COME OUT TO VOTE IN THE, IN THE GENERAL ELECTION. BUT I THINK IN, IN SPITE OF THAT, THERE'S GONNA BE STILL A, A, A STRONG AMOUNT OF APATHY. SO I THINK IT'S UP TO PARTICULARLY, UH, UH, MAYORS AND, AND LEADERS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL FOR US TO HELP PEOPLE REALIZE WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY SHOW UP TO VOTE. THAT YES, ALL OF THE NATIONAL ISSUES, IF THAT'S NOT DRIVING YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET, LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU HOW IMPORTANT YOUR SCHOOL BOARD IS. LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU COME AND, AND VOTE ABOUT A, A, A, A, A PUBLIC SAFETY BOND. 'CAUSE WE WANNA BUILD MORE FIRE STATIONS IN OUR CITY. YOU KNOW, THAT THESE, THESE ARE ISSUES THAT HAVE DIRECT IMPACT, SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT ON PEOPLE'S LIVES. WE NEED TO HELP THEM REALIZE THAT, THAT THEY'RE ALL DIRECTLY TIED TO VOTING. SO WE NEED TO MOTIVATE THEM. THANK YOU. I KNOW YOU, THERE WILL PROBABLY BE OTHERS, BUT THAT'S ENOUGH. UM, SO LET ME, LET ME THANK THE MEDIA AND I DO WANNA THANK THE MEDIA. SO LET ME, LET ME, LET ME THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. AND I CAN'T SAY, CAN'T SAY ENOUGH BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH NOISE THAT'S DIVIDING OUR COUNTRY AND THREATENING OUR FRAGILE DEMOCRACY. AND SO WHEN ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, COME FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN A NONPARTISAN WAY, UM, THAT NEEDS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED BECAUSE IT SIMPLY DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERY DAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT VOTING. SO LET ME THANK THE MEDIA. LET ME THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ALL FOR COVERING THIS EVENT. WE DO HAVE A MEDIA TABLE, UH, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STAY FOR LUNCH. AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS A PRETTY GOOD LUNCH. LET ME JUST TELL YOU , YOU KNOW, SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO STAY FOR LUNCH, WE DO THAT. AND THEN LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU DIDN'T SEE THE FILM EARLIER, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF BREAKFAST, LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET A COPY OF THAT, UH, FILM THAT WAS POWERFUL WITH LBJ IN THAT FILM, SENATOR LISA MURKOWSKI, UH, IN THAT FILM. UM, AND THEN, YEAH, JOHN LEWIS, BECAUSE WHAT WAS SO POWERFUL, IT WAS, IT WAS PRESIDENT LBJ TEXAN WHO GOT THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT STARTED IN 1965. IT WAS GEORGE BUSH, A REPUBLICAN WHO WAS THE LAST ONE TO REAUTHORIZE THAT, A DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN. AND THEN IN THE FILM YOU HAD JOHN LEWIS, CONGRESSMAN DEMOCRAT TALKING STRONGLY ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS. AND IT WAS SENATOR TO LISA MCKOWSKI, OR A REPUBLICAN WHO WAS SPEAKING PASSIONATELY ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE KEEP IT GOING. SO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT FILM AND THEN FOR IT TO BE FOLLOWED UP WITH THE CONFERENCE, UH, WITH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICAN ELECTED OFFICIALS, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR ME IT JUST, IT, IT JUST SAYS A WHOLE LOT. SO I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, [00:30:01] UH, FOR JUST TAKING THE MOMENT. AND MAYOR HANCOCK, YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU. YES, MA'AM. MAYOR, THAT FILM WILL BE LOADED ONTO THE CONFERENCE WEBSITE, SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET IT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. SO IF THEY WANT, HAVE WANTS TO HAVE ACCESS TO IT. OKAY, GOOD. OKAY. HAVEN'T SAID ALL THAT. LET ME, LET ME HAVE THESE, UH, PEOPLE GO AND GET THEMSELVES SOMETHING TO EAT. I SPEND ALL NIGHT TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING. SO, UM, OXTAILS AND RICE. CABBAGE AND UH, WHATEVER. IF YOU DON'T SEE OXTAILS, THEY, YOU KNOW, AND LEGAL WOMEN VOTERS. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.