Video of the Breaking Barrier to Voting Panel
Video of Tom Perez giving closing remarks
Breaking Barriers to Voting: An Ongoing Advocacy
The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy and Innovation will host “Breaking Barriers to Voting: An Ongoing Advocacy” at the LMU Playa Vista Campus on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019 from 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. PST. The discussion among party leaders, voting-rights experts and other stakeholders will examine voting access issues for members of disenfranchised groups such as ethnic minorities and those with disabilities.
The event will include remarks on voting rights by Tom Perez, DNC chair. Hon. Tony Coelho (LMU ’64), former House Majority Whip and founder of The Coelho Center; Loyola Law School Dean Michael Waterstone, an expert on voting access for people with disabilities; and LMU President Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D. will provide opening remarks.
Opening remarks will be followed by a panel of experts: Elizabeth Campbell, Disability Organizing Network; Kathay Feng and Kiyana Asemanfar, Common Cause; Tony Hoang, Equality California & Silver State Equality; and Astrid Ochoa, Future of California Elections. LMU First Lady and former CNN anchor Carol Costello will serve as moderator.
“California has experienced a resurgence in voter turnout thanks to intersectional leaders working together to increase participation in elections. With this increase in turnout, we need to ensure that everyone has equal access to the voting booth. I am pleased we will explore those issues at this important forum,” said Coelho.
“In 2018, we saw the first implementation of the Voter’s Choice Act, a new law that seeks to find common solutions to break barriers to voting based on disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, racial divisions and more,” said The Coelho Center Director Katherine Perez. “Yet, as advocates successfully turn each corner on their journey to develop a fair and just election system, they still encounter roadblocks, examples of voter suppression and attempts to break their coalitions.”
Real-time captioning (CART) and sign-language interpreters will be provided. Learn more about The Coelho Center at www.lls.edu/coelhocenter. Event registration and other information is available at www.lls.edu/breakingbarriers.
The event will take place a day before the Thursday, Dec. 19 DNC Democratic Presidential Debate on LMU’s Westchester campus. Follow along with debate-related activities via #DemDebateLMU.
LIVE STREAMING WILL BE PROVIDED DAY OF THE EVENT.