Let's Talk New Mexico 9/8, 8a: Voting rights are the bedrock of American democracy, yet for many people, that right is not a reality. Voter suppression has a long history in the United States and has largely affected people of color and women. On this week’s call-in show, we will focus on the white supremacist roots of voter suppression and how they affect the COVID-impacted 2020 election. We will explore felon voter laws and the fragile history of voting rights for Black people and Native Americans.

Have you or a loved one been denied your right to vote? Do you have a felony conviction and want to understand how to get your voting rights back after you finish probation or parole? Are you worried about how you’re going to cast your vote this fall? Join the conversation by emailing letstalk@kunm.org, or call in live during the show at 277-5866.

Guests:

• Kelly Garcia – Chavez a member of Justice advisory board ACLU-NM and a voting rights advocate for women and people with felony convictions.
• Justin Allen, an American Studies undergraduate at UNM and an intern at America Votes. Justin is focused on restorative justice practices such as reducing recidivism, harm reduction and advocacy for incarcerated people.
• Dr. Finnie Coleman teaches a variety of courses at UNM in Africana Studies and the Department of English Language and Literatures.  He has taught Hip Hop Culture, Black Lives Matter, and this fall an experimental course titled Afrofuturism; Black Super Heroes and the Public Image of Blackness. 
• Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto (D) currently serving as Executive Director for County Clerks, Daniel is a Former State Elections Director, prosecutor, and teacher.
• Eileen Shendo, Jemez and Cochiti Pueblo, founder of Seeded Sisters, Inc., a social enterprise in Jemez. Shendo is the daughter of New Mexico Senator Benny Shendo(D) and managed his election campaign. 

Related:
Human Rights Watch Support for HB 57 to End Felona Disenfranchisement in New Mexico.

ACLU-NMvoters rights

New Mexico Secretary of State Voter Bill of Rights

How to request an absentee or mail-in ballot