Podcast appearances and mentions of mindy romero

The fallout intensifies from the racist jokes and remarks at Donald Trump's “closing argument” rally at Madison Square Garden yesterday. The former president packed the Garden to show his strong support even in the bastion of liberalism that is New York City, but there's been a fierce backlash online and in the media. Former president Trump essentially recreated his national convention by filling the arena with adoring followers and having many of the same guest speakers. But one of them, a comedian, referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” and also disparaged Blacks and Jews. Other speakers also made demeaning remarks about various ethnic groups, immigrants and Kamala Harris herself. The Trump campaign has disavowed the most offensive remarks and said it wasn't aware of them in advance, but they were loaded into and read from the event teleprompter. There's been an uproar online, and prominent Puerto Rican Americans are blasting Trump. For more on this, KCBS Radio anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart, along with KCBS Insider Doug Sovern, were joined by political sociologist Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC, which is based in Sacramento. This is The State of California.

In this episode, we welcome Mindy Romero, Director and Founder of the Center for Inclusive Democracy (CID) at USC and Academy Fellow, to discuss the importance of representation in civic engagement and her expectations of voter information in the upcoming November election Learn more about CID's work here: Support the Podcast Today at:donate@napawash.org or 202-347-3190Music Credits: Sea Breeze by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_FollowApple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastRSS Feed 

The focus is squarely on seven battleground states that will decide this Presidential election, which remains a tossup and probably will be for the next two months. Polling shows Vice President Kamala Harris with a narrow lead over former President Donald Trump nationally, and in many but not all of those swing states, but they're all within the margin of error and could swing either way. That means that turnout, ground game, voter registration and mobilization will once again determine who wins, just as was the case in 2016 and 2020, with such a closely divided electorate. So both campaigns are working hard to identify low propensity voters and get them on their side, which makes a new study from USC's Center for Inclusive Democracy all the more interesting. It takes a look at just who votes and who doesn't, in nine states, including the seven major swing states plus Texas and Florida. For more on this, KCBS Political Reporter Doug Sovern spoke with Mindy Romero, Founder and Director of the Center, and the lead author of this study.

Introduction / Biden Interview ((AUDIO)) GUEST - USC Politics Prof Mindy Romero: Biden Interview // GUEST - Prof Mindy Romero: Flag Appropriation by Trump // 'Extremely dangerous,' record-breaking heat wave takes hold across much of U.S. 

Former President Donald Trump had his first meeting with a probation officer today, to help the court determine what the sentence should be for his 34 felony convictions. Meanwhile, a spate of new surveys shows a neck-and-neck race between Mr. Trump and President Biden, with some of the polls suggesting those guilty verdicts may be hurting Trump a little bit.  If they are hurting Trump and helping Biden, it's not by much, but in a race as close as this one, even a small movement at the margins could end up making a difference. But how reliable is polling in 2024, and should we be paying much attention to the surveys five months before the presidential election?  For more, KCBS Radio anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising, along with KCBS insider Doug Sover, were joined by political sociologist Mindy Romero, Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California. 

Election Day is over, and the votes are being tallied. And while we don't know what the final voter turnout numbers will be, we do know that most people don't vote in primaries. Primary elections aren't sexy. They never turn out as many voters as a November general election because most people are motivated by national stuff, like presidential races.  But the issues on a primary ballot, especially locally, are perhaps more consequential to people's everyday lives. Today, we talk with Mindy Romero, founder and director of USC's Center for Inclusive Democracy, about the consequences of low primary turnouts, and how to get more people to vote. Links: Episode transcript California primary results This episode was produced by Ellie Prickett-Morgan and Maria Esquinca, edited by Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra.

On this episode of the Maddy Report: Valley Views Edition, Mark Keppler is joined by Mindy Romero, the Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the Price School of Public Policy in USC; and Dean Bonner, an Associate Survey Director and Research Fellow at the PPIC.

Dr. Mindy Romero, founder of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California, talks with Jess about current election science and what we can expect to see during the 2024 election cycle.

What to know as the “Super Tuesday” primary approaches. New workshops and programs are training people from underrepresented communities for a future in public office. Ten-year-old Sacramento hip hop princess “Boss Tootie.” ‘Super Tuesday' Countdown California is likely to play a more impactful role in the 2024 election as our state's primary has been moved up to Tuesday, March 5– also known as “Super Tuesday.” Ballots will be sent out next month and voting starts soon after, but there is concern over voter enthusiasm and participation. Joining us to discuss what we all need to know as the primary approaches are Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, and Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy. Getting Underrepresented Communities to Run for Office A number of new workshops and programs around the Sacramento region are working to train people from underrepresented and diverse communities for positions in public office. CapRadio's Sacramento Government Reporter Kristin Lam sheds light on why three of these groups - Nueva Epoca, Stonewall Democrats of Greater Sacramento, and New Leaders Council Sacramento - were formed, and also introduces some of the program participants looking to shape civic policy in the future. Sacramento Hip Hop Princess ‘Boss Tootie' A Sacramento father and daughter have teamed up in a creative way that is bringing joy to others. Boss Tootie is a 10-year-old “hip hop princess” as she likes to call herself. After watching her father Rinn Zee record songs, she decided to join the studio with her own voice and message. The fourth grader has created singles and music videos to entertain and inspire a young audience. And like many artists, she pulls from her own life. Boss Tootie is African American and Hmong. Her latest single embraces her Hmong roots, and last summer she performed at Juneteenth celebrations in Sacramento. Boss Tootie and her father Rinn Zee join Insight about how this all began.

In San Francisco for the APEC conference, President Biden is going on the offensive against former President Trump, lashing out at him over immigration. Meanwhile, things have gotten ugly in Congress, where former Speaker Kevin McCarthy stands accused of assaulting one of the men who helped take away his gavel. And that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a deteriorating sense of civility in American life right now, with a Senate hearing almost turning into a brawling fistfight yesterday, a second congressional hearing turning nasty, and anger and confrontation on college campuses over the war between Israel and Hamas. Tensions are running high in a society that seems more polarized than ever. For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Bret Burkhart and Patti Reising and KCBS political reporter Doug Sovern spoke with political sociologist Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at USC's Price School of Public Policy. She's also the president of the board of California Common Cause.

With news of a possible indictment against former President Trump, the political and legal ramifications affecting the 2024 presidential election are about to be a wild ride. Our political universe is about to be turned upside down if an indictment is forthcoming. Yet, with the legal implications and maneuvering unclear, it is likely that the political effects of such developments will be even more consequential. Today we wanted to turn to possible “effects” of such an indictment in California and on the state's roughly 22 million registered voters in California.  To discuss further, Patti Reising and Brett Burkhart spoke with Mindy Romero, Professor and Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California and Professor McCuan, Professor of Political Science at Sonoma State University.  

USC Center for Inclusive Democracy director Mindy Romero and Voters of Tomorrow director Santiago Mayer discuss youth turnout in the 2022 elections and the future of representative government. 

Joe spoke with Jessica Taylor, Senate and Governors Editor for The Cook Political Report on the outstanding midterm races still to be called, Mindy Romero, founder and director of the USC Center for Inclusive Democracy on voter turnout. Plus our politics panel, Bloomberg Politics Contributors Jeanne Sheehan Zaino & Rick Davis on Kevin McCarthy's complicated path to becoming Speaker of the House, Trump dragging down the GOP, voter turnout and if the pollsters got it right. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're less than two weeks until Election Day, and today we continue our special edition of the State of California taking a closer look at the issues at hand for the midterms. KCBS Political reporter Doug Sovern assembled a special roundtable of guests at the Top of the Mark, the historic bar high atop Nob Hill, at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, for an extended conversation to break down the key issues Doug's guests are political sociologist Mindy Romero, Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the USC Price School of Public Policy, veteran California Republican campaign consultant Mike Madrid, one of the co-founders of the Lincoln Project, and Carla Marinucci, longtime political writer, formerly with Politico and the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Less than two weeks before Election Day, we've got a special edition of the State of California, with more on the way. KCBS political reporter Doug Souvern has assembled a special roundtable of guests to break down the midterm elections and the key issues. This round table includes political sociologist Mindy Romero, Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the USC Price School of Public Policy, veteran California Republican campaign consultant Mike Madrid, one of the co-founders of the Lincoln Project, and Carla Marinucci, longtime politcal writer, formerly with Politico and the San Francisco Chronicle.

The State Attorney General is launching an investigation into that recording of a racist conversation among three members of the Los Angeles City Council.  This, as President Biden arrives in Los Angeles. He is among the many elected officials demanding those council members resign their seats This controversy continues to dominate the political headlines, and its fallout could extend to changing the way LA draws its districts. There's already a proposal to expand that City Council beyond its current 15 seats, and there's growing momentum for having an independent commission draw the district boundaries in Los Angeles.  It's done statewide and in many California counties, including San Francisco. The scandal is exposing just how racially charged LA politics can be, and how those in power use their offices to consolidate that power. For more, KCBS Radio's Doug Sovern, Patti Reising, and Bret Burkhart are joined by Mindy Romero, a political sociologist who is Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the USC Price School of Public Policy. Their research focuses on political behavior among communities of color in California.

Updated at 11:36 a.m. HIV prevention setbacks during the pandemic. Latest COVID-19 research and vaccine recommendations. Voting trends for the 2022 Primary. Jazz pianist Michael Wolff's autobiography “On That Note.”  Today's Guests Dr. Monica Gandhi, Infectious Diseases doctor, Director of the UCSF Center for AIDS Research and the Medical Director of the HIV Clinic at SFGH ("Ward 86"), discusses the setbacks to the HIV epidemic during the pandemic, as well as the latest COVID-19 research and recommendations for second boosters, pediatric vaccinations, and hybrid immunity. Mindy Romero, Director of the USC Center for Inclusive Democracy, discusses voting trends and consequences of underrepresentation for the 2022 Primary.   CapRadio Jazz Music Director Gary Vercelli shares his interview with pianist Michael Wolff who published his autobiography “On That Note.”   Correction: Dr. Monica Gandhi's title was unclear in a previous version of this article. It has been updated.

This week Hal is joined by Dr. Mindy Romero, the Director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the USC Price School,  Assemblyman Miguel Santiago and LAUSD redistricting commission vice chair Andrea Ambriz.

The political climate has been heating up in California and it's only the middle of 2021. Over the weekend a fight broke out at a Town Hall in Orange county held by Democratic Rep. Katie Porter. This week, conservative lightning rods Georiga Rep. Margorie Taylor Greene along with Florida's Matt Gaetz will bring their "America First" tour to California, also in Orange County. To discuss all of this, KCBS Radio's Doug Sovern spoke with Mindy Romero, political sociologist and founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Updated at 10:02 a.m. Gov. Gavin Newsom breaks his silence on the recall push as organizers hit the signature deadline. So, now what? We explain what the coming weeks and months will look like and what the makeup of the electorate could be for if there is a recall election. We’ll also hear from both supporters of the governor — and supporters of the recall. Plus, CapRadio’s Hey, Listen! introduces us to new music for weekend listening.  Today's Guests CapRadio political reporter and California State of Mind podcast co-host Nicole Nixon updates us on the latest news in the Gov. Newsom recall effort, as well as what the next weeks and months will look like. Reform California Chairman Carl DeMaio explains why he is backing the recall.  Gov. Newsom consultant and strategist Dan Newman defends the governor’s record, arguing that the recall is a political push instead of a grassroots movement.  Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost is an honorary co-chair of Rescue California. The organization is one of the main leaders behind the recall.  USC Sol Price School of Public Policy Center for Inclusive Democracy Director Dr. Mindy Romero explains what the makeup of the electorate could be if there is a recall election. Nick Brunner with CapRadio’s Hey, Listen! introduces us to songs for weekend listening.  After the interview with Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost, the supervisor’s office provided a study by “Let them Play California,” a movement created during the pandemic for a return of youth sports. The study surveyed a specific group: high school football coaches who voluntarily submitted responses. We don’t know how that compares with the broader student body or how that compares to prior years. After the interview, we asked Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost's office to provide data supporting her claim that teen pregnancies have increased during the pandemic. Her office provided a survey conducted by Let Them Play California.Courtesy: Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost We also fact checked one more of Frost’s claims. The supervisor said California’s vaccination rate is behind Mississippi, West Virginia and Alabama. CDC data updated by the New York Times Wednesday shows only West Virginia is true. However, when it comes to the percentage of people given at least one dose California ranks in the bottom half — 34th of the 59 states and U.S. territories being recorded.

This week, Mark Keppler discusses the importance of voter registration and subsequent voter turnout on our elections and on democracy with special guests California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Mindy Romero, Executive Director of the California Civic Engagement Project at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change

On November 5, 2020, Capitol Weekly and the McGeorge Capital Center for Law & Policy presented a Post-Mortem of the 2020 Election. This episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast broadcasts audio of Panel 2: The Face of the Electorate, featuring Shakari Byerly, EVITARUS; Mindy Romero, Center for Inclusive Democracy; Roger Salazar, ALZA Strategies; Rob Stutzman, Stutzman Public Affairs. Moderated by Dan Morain, Sacramento Press Club Panel 2: The Face of The Electorate As California and the rest of the country trend younger and more diverse, so does the electorate. In California, more voters are registering than ever, and interest in elections is at an all-time high. Who are the voters in 2020? As the week goes on we'll be posting the other presentations from the Post-Mortem including the Keynote address from legendary campaign consultant Ace Smith. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS: The Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, Kaiser Permanente, The Western States Petroleum Association, KP Public Affairs, Perry Communications, Capitol Advocacy, The California Building Industry Association, Lucas Public Affairs, California Professional Firefighters, Associated Builders and Contractors of Northern California, Pandora and Paula Treat.

In this show co host Tom Grose shares a clip about white supremacy and women, it is more disturbing than you thought. The co-host Harvey Bennett shares a clip from Rising with Daniel Allot about what is behind people voting for trump again. Finally Jim shares a clip from a Ted Talk by researcher Mindy Romero on why young people don't vote. It is not their fault.

Listen to the full radio report here, first aired October 7, 2020: https://kpfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/California-Election-Mechanics-reporter-ariel-boone.mp3 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var media = $('#audio-345019-43'); media.on('canplay', function (ev) { this.currentTime = 0; }); });   By Ariel Boone (@arielboone), KPFA elections reporter SACRAMENTO, CA – “Do not wait. If you can vote early, please vote early this year.” That was the primary message of Sam Mahood, press secretary for California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. Mahood declined to spell out any scenarios where the state would be overwhelmed by an influx of mail-in ballots this year — 72 percent of ballots in California's presidential primary in March were returned by mail, after all — but this will be an election unlike any other in state history, with record-breaking numbers of registered voters, new election systems rolled out, and a pandemic to manage. “Just given everything with COVID, we know there's going to be a bigger strain on resources for everyone and on polling locations,” Mahood says. “We really say November 3, as much as it's Election Day, it's really the last date to vote, is how we want people to look at it this year.” California now has 21 million active registered voters — a record. The secretary of state says that number includes 83% of eligible adults. Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis says the county currently has 940,000 registered voters, and could hit 1 million by election day.  Dupuis told KPFA that along with voter registration, poll worker recruitment has spiked. The county needs 1,700 volunteer election workers to staff voting centers from October 31 through November 3, and 4,800 people signed up. It has a reserve of 3,000 extra volunteers. “We've never been in this situation,” Dupuis says. “It's just amazing, the outpour of support from our community.” Another thing that's new this year: California will mail every voter a ballot. In fact, California has already mailed every registered voter a ballot — every county was required to send them by October 5. If you have not received your ballot by October 10, the secretary of state recommends signing up to track your ballot at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov, and contacting your county registrar. You may have heard about backups at the post office earlier this year — so we asked the people who actually handle the mail what to expect.  “I have to tell you that we will get those ballots out. It's in our DNA. That's our job.” – Shirley Taylor, American Postal Workers Union Shirley Taylor is a national business agent for the American Postal Workers Union. She says multiple postal workers' unions have formed a nationwide task force to clear every ballot from every mail processing center, every night. “The National Postal Mail Handlers Union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the American Postal Workers Union, and the National Association of Postal Supervisors, all of us are participating,” Taylor says. “And the purpose is to ensure all election mail, mainly ballots, are processed and cleared daily and accounted for. And every night they're going to have a clearance report certification that all ballots are clear. And if not, they have to tell the reason why. And then these representatives of the committee will review these reports and walk through these plants, looking for problems and giving suggestions.” There's more scrutiny on the postal service this year. In August, a federal judge in Washington blocked moves by President Trump's postmaster general to remove mail sorting machines and bar postal workers from using overtime to finish deliveries. But Shirley Taylor says the workers are up to the task of delivering ballots.  “I have to tell you that we will get those ballots out. It's in our DNA. That's our job.” She would know — Shirley started working for the postal service in 1962 in Alameda County, for $2.67 an hour. She worked before the arrival of the high-speed mail sorting machines that Louis DeJoy would eventually have removed.  Also, California arranged with the Post Office to get ballots delivered even they don't have postage. It's “no stamp, no problem,” in the first statewide general election where no postage is required on any ballot, says the secretary of state's office.  Sam Mahood and Tim Dupuis both stressed that even though everyone's getting mailed a ballot, this is not just a vote by mail election.  There will be in-person voting machines. And, Mahood says, “These are really critical for voters who might have made a mistake with their ballot and need to get a replacement, voters who need to take advantage of same day voter registration if they miss the October 19 voter registration deadline, voters with disabilities who might need to use accessible voting machines that are available at their polling location, or voters who might need assistance in another language and need help from a poll worker.” This might be the sticky part. An executive order from Gavin Newsom in June instructed registrars to mail every voter a ballot, but also set terms of providing safe, in-person, accessible voting options. Many typical polling locations like schools and senior centers are closed to the public for safety. So some counties are switching to a “vote center” model. In Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Napa and Fresno counties, there will be fewer polling locations, and instead, voting centers will be open at least four days before the election, for early voting. In theory, they're a big step forward: voters are no longer restricted to just one voting location, and any center in your county will do. “In this election, if you happen to be in Livermore, and you're a resident of Alameda, you could go into an accessible vote location in that city, and we'll be able to produce your city of Alameda ballot so that you can vote there,” Alameda County registrar Tim Dupuis says. “It does remove those geographic restrictions. So you're able to vote where it's convenient.” But the switch to a voting center system can be tricky: when Los Angeles did it for the primary this spring, there were long voting lines because poll workers had difficulty connecting to an online database. Newsom's executive order says counties that use the vote center model must have 1 for every 10,000 voters. And big crowds can be a problem during a pandemic. “The first thing we wanted to think about is: Do we need the voter to get out of their car at all?” – Alameda County registrar Tim Dupuis Tim Dupuis says measures are in place to keep COVID from spreading at Alameda County's vote centers. “If they have the ballot already that we mailed to them, and they have the envelope, we're going to have a drive through drop stop, where they can just hand us their ballot through the window, and we'll drop it into the ballot box, and they'll get their ‘I voted' sticker. “If they want to vote and they're willing to vote in their car, we call it curbside voting. So they'll be able to come up and they can ask for their ballot. We'll ask them to park and we'll run their ballot out to them when it's ready. “Worst case, if they do have to come into the location, we have everything spread out. These locations are at least 2,500 square feet, and everybody's going to be wearing the protective equipment, the PPE that's required. We'll have all of the sanitizing that's necessary for those facilities, and we'll limit the number of people who can actually come in,” Dupuis says.  Alameda County is offering vote centers open from October 31 through November 3 in addition to drop boxes placed throughout the county. But Dupuis calls the vote centers a “last resort” for voting: “It's available to you, but we really are encouraging safe voting with all the options that we have.” Here's what else election officials want you to know: In California, you can register for a ballot to be mailed to you until October 19. After that, you can register and vote in-person up to and including Election Day. You can do this now, any day, at your county registrar's office. You will also be able to do it at voting centers, most of which will open 4 days before the election, on October 31. If you're voting by mail, you can also track your ballot on its way to you, from you, and through the counting process, using a new online tool offered in every county called “Where's My Ballot?” Mahood says 5 percent of California voters have already signed up for the tool, and assures KPFA that the state is “absolutely” ready for an influx of new sign-ups. “You'll know when it's on the way to you when it's been received by your County elections office, when it's been, and if it hasn't been counted,” he says. “You'll be alerted to an issue, which you'll still have time to correct. Usually it's a missing signature, or your signature doesn't match what's on file, but by signing up, you'll be notified much more quickly.” It's important to know where your ballot goes. In the past decade, an average of 1.7 percent of ballots cast by mail in California were rejected.  “The top three reasons for ballot rejection for everybody are late, a missing signature or a bad signature,” says Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California. Her research has found mail-in ballot rejection disproportionately impacts voters aged 18-24. In a study of Sacramento, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, young voters were three times more likely to have ballots rejected in 2018, according to Romero's research. She says to make sure you sign the envelope if you're voting by mail in California, and get the ballot in the mail early, no later than November 3. But most important, she says, is to make the decision to vote. “It's the fact that we make potential voters in this country be responsible for their own voter registration, and then we put a lot of hoops there to make it more difficult to register for young people. “We will see millions of eligible voters in this election that will not vote in our state. And that is a travesty for our democracy.” The post California's election is now underway. Here's how to vote safely and securely appeared first on KPFA.

Listen to the full radio report here, first aired October 7, 2020: https://kpfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/California-Election-Mechanics-reporter-ariel-boone.mp3 jQuery(document).ready(function($) { var media = $('#audio-345019-13'); media.on('canplay', function (ev) { this.currentTime = 0; }); });   By Ariel Boone (@arielboone), KPFA elections reporter SACRAMENTO, CA – “Do not wait. If you can vote early, please vote early this year.” That was the primary message of Sam Mahood, press secretary for California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. Mahood declined to spell out any scenarios where the state would be overwhelmed by an influx of mail-in ballots this year — 72 percent of ballots in California's presidential primary in March were returned by mail, after all — but this will be an election unlike any other in state history, with record-breaking numbers of registered voters, new election systems rolled out, and a pandemic to manage. “Just given everything with COVID, we know there's going to be a bigger strain on resources for everyone and on polling locations,” Mahood says. “We really say November 3, as much as it's Election Day, it's really the last date to vote, is how we want people to look at it this year.” California now has 21 million active registered voters — a record. The secretary of state says that number includes 83% of eligible adults. Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis says the county currently has 940,000 registered voters, and could hit 1 million by election day.  Dupuis told KPFA that along with voter registration, poll worker recruitment has spiked. The county needs 1,700 volunteer election workers to staff voting centers from October 31 through November 3, and 4,800 people signed up. It has a reserve of 3,000 extra volunteers. “We've never been in this situation,” Dupuis says. “It's just amazing, the outpour of support from our community.” Another thing that's new this year: California will mail every voter a ballot. In fact, California has already mailed every registered voter a ballot — every county was required to send them by October 5. If you have not received your ballot by October 10, the secretary of state recommends signing up to track your ballot at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov, and contacting your county registrar. You may have heard about backups at the post office earlier this year — so we asked the people who actually handle the mail what to expect.  “I have to tell you that we will get those ballots out. It's in our DNA. That's our job.” – Shirley Taylor, American Postal Workers Union Shirley Taylor is a national business agent for the American Postal Workers Union. She says multiple postal workers' unions have formed a nationwide task force to clear every ballot from every mail processing center, every night. “The National Postal Mail Handlers Union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the American Postal Workers Union, and the National Association of Postal Supervisors, all of us are participating,” Taylor says. “And the purpose is to ensure all election mail, mainly ballots, are processed and cleared daily and accounted for. And every night they're going to have a clearance report certification that all ballots are clear. And if not, they have to tell the reason why. And then these representatives of the committee will review these reports and walk through these plants, looking for problems and giving suggestions.” There's more scrutiny on the postal service this year. In August, a federal judge in Washington blocked moves by President Trump's postmaster general to remove mail sorting machines and bar postal workers from using overtime to finish deliveries. But Shirley Taylor says the workers are up to the task of delivering ballots.  “I have to tell you that we will get those ballots out. It's in our DNA. That's our job.” She would know — Shirley started working for the postal service in 1962 in Alameda County, for $2.67 an hour. She worked before the arrival of the high-speed mail sorting machines that Louis DeJoy would eventually have removed.  Also, California arranged with the Post Office to get ballots delivered even they don't have postage. It's “no stamp, no problem,” in the first statewide general election where no postage is required on any ballot, says the secretary of state's office.  Sam Mahood and Tim Dupuis both stressed that even though everyone's getting mailed a ballot, this is not just a vote by mail election.  There will be in-person voting machines. And, Mahood says, “These are really critical for voters who might have made a mistake with their ballot and need to get a replacement, voters who need to take advantage of same day voter registration if they miss the October 19 voter registration deadline, voters with disabilities who might need to use accessible voting machines that are available at their polling location, or voters who might need assistance in another language and need help from a poll worker.” This might be the sticky part. An executive order from Gavin Newsom in June instructed registrars to mail every voter a ballot, but also set terms of providing safe, in-person, accessible voting options. Many typical polling locations like schools and senior centers are closed to the public for safety. So some counties are switching to a “vote center” model. In Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Napa and Fresno counties, there will be fewer polling locations, and instead, voting centers will be open at least four days before the election, for early voting. In theory, they're a big step forward: voters are no longer restricted to just one voting location, and any center in your county will do. “In this election, if you happen to be in Livermore, and you're a resident of Alameda, you could go into an accessible vote location in that city, and we'll be able to produce your city of Alameda ballot so that you can vote there,” Alameda County registrar Tim Dupuis says. “It does remove those geographic restrictions. So you're able to vote where it's convenient.” But the switch to a voting center system can be tricky: when Los Angeles did it for the primary this spring, there were long voting lines because poll workers had difficulty connecting to an online database. Newsom's executive order says counties that use the vote center model must have 1 for every 10,000 voters. And big crowds can be a problem during a pandemic. “The first thing we wanted to think about is: Do we need the voter to get out of their car at all?” – Alameda County registrar Tim Dupuis Tim Dupuis says measures are in place to keep COVID from spreading at Alameda County's vote centers. “If they have the ballot already that we mailed to them, and they have the envelope, we're going to have a drive through drop stop, where they can just hand us their ballot through the window, and we'll drop it into the ballot box, and they'll get their ‘I voted' sticker. “If they want to vote and they're willing to vote in their car, we call it curbside voting. So they'll be able to come up and they can ask for their ballot. We'll ask them to park and we'll run their ballot out to them when it's ready. “Worst case, if they do have to come into the location, we have everything spread out. These locations are at least 2,500 square feet, and everybody's going to be wearing the protective equipment, the PPE that's required. We'll have all of the sanitizing that's necessary for those facilities, and we'll limit the number of people who can actually come in,” Dupuis says.  Alameda County is offering vote centers open from October 31 through November 3 in addition to drop boxes placed throughout the county. But Dupuis calls the vote centers a “last resort” for voting: “It's available to you, but we really are encouraging safe voting with all the options that we have.” Here's what else election officials want you to know: In California, you can register for a ballot to be mailed to you until October 19. After that, you can register and vote in-person up to and including Election Day. You can do this now, any day, at your county registrar's office. You will also be able to do it at voting centers, most of which will open 4 days before the election, on October 31. If you're voting by mail, you can also track your ballot on its way to you, from you, and through the counting process, using a new online tool offered in every county called “Where's My Ballot?” Mahood says 5 percent of California voters have already signed up for the tool, and assures KPFA that the state is “absolutely” ready for an influx of new sign-ups. “You'll know when it's on the way to you when it's been received by your County elections office, when it's been, and if it hasn't been counted,” he says. “You'll be alerted to an issue, which you'll still have time to correct. Usually it's a missing signature, or your signature doesn't match what's on file, but by signing up, you'll be notified much more quickly.” It's important to know where your ballot goes. In the past decade, an average of 1.7 percent of ballots cast by mail in California were rejected.  “The top three reasons for ballot rejection for everybody are late, a missing signature or a bad signature,” says Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California. Her research has found mail-in ballot rejection disproportionately impacts voters aged 18-24. In a study of Sacramento, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, young voters were three times more likely to have ballots rejected in 2018, according to Romero's research. She says to make sure you sign the envelope if you're voting by mail in California, and get the ballot in the mail early, no later than November 3. But most important, she says, is to make the decision to vote. “It's the fact that we make potential voters in this country be responsible for their own voter registration, and then we put a lot of hoops there to make it more difficult to register for young people. “We will see millions of eligible voters in this election that will not vote in our state. And that is a travesty for our democracy.” The post California's election is now underway. Here's how to vote safely and securely appeared first on KPFA.

If you need fuel to get excited about voting: here it is. How low is U.S. voter turnout? And why? Are mail-in ballots safe? Should you vote early? How has voter suppression worked in the past -- and the present -- to skew elections? Oooh, buckle up as the wonderful Dr. Mindy Romero, a Political Sociologist and founding director of USC’s Center for Inclusive Democracy, chats about what drives us to the polls, what keeps us away, how to celebrate election day, and why every single vote actually does matter. By the end, you’ll have a voting plan for the November 3rd presidential election, and maybe a shopping list that includes postage stamps and apple cider. Maybe some Fireball. Ps: VOTE. You deserve it.  Learn more about Dr. Romero’s Center for Inclusive Democracy at cid.usc.edu, and follow them at https://twitter.com/CID_USC Dr. Romero tweets at https://twitter.com/mindysromero Resources for voting: Vote.org New York Times state-by-state info on voting Donations went to themarshallproject.org & commoncause.org  For more links: alieward.com/ologies/politicalsociology  Transcripts & bleeped episodes at: alieward.com/ologies-extras Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month: www.Patreon.com/ologies OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, pins, totes and now… MASKS. Hi. Yes.  Follow twitter.com/ologies or instagram.com/ologies Follow twitter.com/AlieWard or instagram.com/AlieWard Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris Theme song by Nick Thorburn Support the show: http://Patreon.com/ologies See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Mark Keppler is joined by Mindy Romero, the Director of California Civic Engagement Project at the Price School of Public Policy at USC and Sarah Bohn of the Public Policy Institute of California to discuss poverty and the economic situation of Latinos in California.

Assemblymembers Evan Low & Cecilia Aguiar-Curry discuss legislative efforts to increase civic engagement in our youth and Latinx populations to ensure a more diverse and inclusive electorate. Special guests in this episode include Dr. Mindy Romero, Director & Founder of the California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP), Jesse Salinas, Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Chief Elections Official from the Yolo County Registrar, and four student delegates including the Youth Governor and his Chief of Staff, Youth Chief Justice, and Youth Chaplain from the 72nd CA YMCA Youth & Government Model Legislature & Court.

Patt Morrison talks with Mindy Romero the founder and director of the California Civic Engagement Project at the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy, in Sacramento.

John Myers (LA Times), Dan Walters and Laurel Rosenhall (CALmatters), Scott Lay with The Nooner, Mindy Romero with USC Price School of Public Policy and Joel Fox with Fox & Hounds

On this week's episode, Mark Keppler is joined by Mindy Romero of the USC Price School of Public Policy, John Myers of the LA Times, and California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to discuss voter turnout in the 2018 Midterm elections. Then you'll hear from State Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Salinas), State Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), State Sen. Andreas Borgeas (R- Fresno) about the new state senators out of the Valley.

State Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Salinas), State Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), State Sen. Andreas Borgeas (R- Fresno), Mindy Romero, USC Price School of Public Policy; John Myers, LA Times; and SOS Padilla

State Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Salinas), State Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), State Sen. Andreas Borgeas (R- Fresno), Mindy Romero, USC Price School of Public Policy; John Myers, LA Times; and SOS Padilla

In a panel discussion, "The Changing California Electorate," Lisa García Bedolla, the director of Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies; Kristin Olsen, a Republican who served on the California State Assembly from 2010-2016; Mindy Romero, director of the California Civic Engagement Project at USC; and Dan Schnur, director of the Sacramento Bee California Influencer series examine the changing demographics of California's population and electorate, the impact of the changes in 2018 and the implications for future election cycles. The discussion was moderated by Marisa Lagos, a political reporter for KQED.This discussion was part of a Feb. 1, 2019 conference, "California Votes: A Post-Mortem on the 2018 Election," hosted by UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies.Listen and read the transcript on Berkeley News. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mark Keppler discusses future legislation with John Myers (LA Times), Dan Walters and Laurel Rosenhall (CALmatters), Scott Lay with The Nooner, Mindy Romero with USC Price School of Public Policy, and Joel Fox with Fox & Hounds

Listen in on Mark Keppler's discussion with Mindy Romero of the USC Price School of Public Policy, John Myers with the LA Times, Laurel Rosenhall with CALmatters, and Joel Fox with Fox & Hounds to discuss the 2018 election results. Then hear from Mike Dunbar with the Merced Sun Star and Modesto Bee, Rory Appleton with the Frenso Bee, Paul Hurley, formerly with the Visalia Times Delta, and Ivy Cargile, Prof. of Political Science at CSU Bakersfield about the Valley results.

Mindy Romero of the California Civic Engagement Project joins John Howard and Tim Foster of Capitol Weekly to talk about California's primary election turnout and what we -might- expect to see in November. We also ask about CCEP's recent move from UC Davis to USC.

Latinos are California’s largest ethnic or racial demographic and have played a major role in the state’s increasingly Democratic votes. But Latinos in California still have some of the lowest turnout of any demographic. That has likely helped some Republicans, such as Central Valley Rep. David Valadao, continue to hold office, despite a major disadvantage in party registration. GOP strategist Mike Madrid and researcher Mindy Romero discuss how “get out the vote” efforts often don’t reach the voters who would most benefit from it and why to avoid the term “sleeping giant.” Guests: Mike Madrid, principal, GrassrootsLab@madrid_mike Mindy Romero, director California Civic Engagement Project @MindySRomero

Topic:National Engagement Starts with Local Engagement In This Episode:[01:18] Guest Mindy Romero is introduced. [02:14] Mindy shares if there’s a resurgence of civic engagement. [05:52] Mindy talks about whether there’s an opportunity to translate national engagement to local level engagement. [08:48] Mindy speaks about building trust with communities with local policymakers that aren’t demographically reflective. [12:26] Mindy shares if she’s seen strategies where communities have attempted to create more accessible pathways. [17:10] Mindy gives her thoughts on how trust plays into voter turnout and if there are strategies to increase voter turnout. [22:07] Mindy addresses how to measure the quality of the engagement. [27:08] Do events like what happened in Charlottesville make us stronger? [30:06] Mindy provides where listeners can find out more about her work. Co-Host:Kate Meis joins the Infinite Earth Radio as the co-host for this episode. Kate Meis is the Executive Director of the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kate is a champion for local governments; a recognized leader in local climate change adaptation, mitigation and clean energy efforts; and an ardent coalition builder. She obtained a Masters of Science degree in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis, and has a Sociology Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sonoma. Guest & Organization:Photo by Eddie Ostrowski Mindy Romero, Ph.D. is the founder and director of the UC Davis California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP). Romero is a political sociologist and holds a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, as well as an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from UC Davis. Her research focuses on political behavior and race/ethnicity, and seeks to explain patterns of political underrepresentation.   Romero has been invited to speak about civic engagement and political rights in numerous venues, testifying before the National Commission on Voting Rights and the California Legislature, among others. Her research has been cited in major news outlets, including The New York Times, Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, Politico and the Huffington Post. She has also been a frequent guest on National Public Radio, Capital Public Radio, and several other NPR-affiliated stations in California. She is a regular op-ed contributor to the Sacramento Bee.   Romero works with a wide array of policymakers, elected officials, voter education groups and community advocates to strengthen political participation and representation. To this end, she has served on a number of boards and commissions. She is currently a member of the Public Policy Institute Statewide Survey Advisory Committee, President of the Board of the non-profit organization, Mutual Housing California, and Vice-Chair of the Social Services Commission for the City of Davis. The California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP) is a non-partisan civic engagement research and outreach initiative for the state of California and the U.S. Founded and directed by Mindy Romero, it is housed at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change. The CCEP provides data and analysis to inform public dialogue about representative governance. We believe that inclusive civic engagement can help overcome disparities in social and economic well-being, and can improve health, education and employment outcomes for all Californians. The CCEP has become a go-to source for electoral and civic engagement research, including the examination of nationally relevant election reforms such as automatic voter registration, online voter registration and vote centers. Legislators, public agencies, advocates, researchers, media (state and national) and community leaders use its pioneering research to track disparities and opportunities in civic participation by place and population. Take