An estimated 40 million Americans could face eviction in the coming months, and this nationwide upsurge in housing insecurity has not hit all Americans equally. Black Americans, already disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus, are especially at risk of losing their homes. Our system of privately financed campaigns has propped up policies that too often serve the interests of real estate conglomerates and predatory lenders over those of Black working- and middle-class households.

President Trump has made it a campaign strategy to undermine the legitimacy and integrity of our election system. But the electoral system is far more resilient than you might think. As Wendy Weiser tells the Washington Post in this video op-ed: “People shouldn’t be alarmed. They should be mobilized.”

GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have gushed over the balance Amy Coney Barrett has achieved as a successful working mother. The bitter irony, writes Brennan Center Fellow Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, is how little regard this group of lawmakers has for the reality of millions of working mothers in America, who have been failed on key issues like equal pay, paid family leave, child care, and food and housing security — especially as women absorb so much of the pandemic’s devastating societal toll.

Dark money is election spending that cannot be traced to its original source, generally because it comes from nonprofits that are not required to disclose their donors. Still, if a nonprofit is suspected of being part of a crime, law enforcement can peel it open like an orange, writes Brennan Center Fellow Ciara Torres-Spelliscy. Steve Bannon is learning this the hard way as he stands accused of bilking donors to his “We Build the Wall” charity.

During the first presidential debate, President Trump told supporters to “go into the polls and watch very carefully.” Before that, he threatened to send federal law enforcement to the polls. This is not legal, and the president’s statements appear designed to discourage voters, particularly voters of color, from participating in the election. It’s voter suppression cloaked in a threat of violence. In two new resources, Limits on Observers and Challengers at the Polls and Voters Should Not Be Intimidated, we outline the many federal and state laws that forbid voter harassment and intimidation.

Stephanie Morales hopes to put herself out of work. She’s the commonwealth’s attorney in Portsmouth, Virginia, and wants to shrink the need for police, prosecutors, and the entire criminal justice system by using a restorative justice approach. “My profession has caused harm,” she told the Brennan Center. “When we talk about systemic racism, we cannot remove the system actors from that equation.”

This new page on the Brennan Center’s website features helpful resources for voters in Spanish, including information about voting by mail, voting safely in person, and the lies undermining our democracy.

Who Gets to Vote in America?
Monday, October 19 | 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. EDT
Voter suppression threatens to tilt election results in states across the country and drown out the rising influence of both minority and young voters in America. In partnership with the Commonwealth Club of California, Brennan Center President Michael Waldman, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, and Mother Jones reporter Ari Berman will discuss the consequences of voter suppression, what everyone can do to advocate, and the fight ahead. RSVP today.

Alicia Garza in Conversation with Lisa Coleman
Thursday, October 22 | 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. EDT
In her new book, Alicia Garza, cofounder of Black Lives Matter, recounts her experiences organizing transformative movements. She’ll discuss the lessons she’s learned with Lisa Coleman, NYU’s chief diversity officer and senior vice president for global inclusion and strategic innovation. Produced in partnership with NYU Skirball, NYU Votes, NYUWomxn100, and the Center for Black Visual Culture and Institute for African American Affairs. RSVP today.

 

What We’re Reading
Alicia Bannon, managing director of the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, recommends “Why the Supreme Court’s Reputation Is At Stake.” The article details polling and political science research on how public confidence in the Supreme Court is waning and considers what the Barrett confirmation battle could mean for faith in the institution.