Engage! CID's October Newsletter

October 2022

ENGAGE!

CID Newsletter

New Member of CID’s National Advisory Committee

CID is excited to announce that Russia Chavis has joined CID’s national advisory committee. Russia brings years of work in public policy, advocacy, government relations, social impact, and nonprofit management focusing on the public policy process and community advocacy. She is currently the director of Strategy and Partnerships for the Civic Health Alliance. Learn more about Russia here.

Democracy News

Two Democracies are forming in the U.S. — ZIP Code determines which one you’re in

Since 2020, vote by-mail access has evolved differently from state to state, often mirroring the increasingly broad partisan divide in voting policies, as well as the stark differences between how Democrats and Republicans view mail voting.

There are a ton of midterm election polls. Here’s a guide for how to read them

The accuracy of the midterm 2022 polls won’t be clear until votes are counted on Nov. 8. Though polls have been criticized in the past for sometimes predicting the wrong outcome, even imprecise polls can provide useful information about how and why voters are making their decisions this fall.

Early voting updates: Counts continue to climb past usual midterm turnout

Turnout for the 2022 midterms is projected to be higher than usual for a midterm election. As of Oct. 25, more than 9 million people had voted early, about 7 million more than just over a week ago.

Democracy Research & Resources

CID’s recent report release: Voter Turnout in California’s Newly Drawn Congressional Districts

Center for Inclusive Democracy recently released a new research report mapping and analyzing historical voter turnout against the redrawn congressional district maps in California.

Using 2022 primary and 2020 general election voter turnout data and the most recently updated citizen voting-age population estimates derived from the 2020 Decennial Census, the “Voter Turnout in California’s Redrawn Congressional Districts” analysis provides a window into how the California vote—particularly by race and ethnicity—might be reshaped for future congressional district races.

Midterm Voting Intentions Are Divided, Economic Gloom Persists

A new report from the Pew Research Center shows that the economy remains the top issue for voters, with 79% saying it will be very important to their voting decisions – the highest share among 18 issues included on the organization’s latest survey published Oct. 20.

READ THE FULL REPORT

Events

6th Annual CCCA City Manager’s Summit

CID’s Mindy Romero gave a presentation to attendees of the 6th Annual California Contract Cities Association’s Summit, hosted by CCCA and the USC Price School of Public Policy’s Executive Education Program. Her presentation discussed the critical role of public engagement in city government

State of California Roundtable

On October 26, CBS All News Radio in San Francisco hosted a “State of California” podcast. CID’s Mindy Romero joined CBS reporter Doug Sovern, veteran political campaign consultant Mike Madrid, and longtime political writer Carla Marinucci to discuss the key upcoming races and issues of the 2022 midterm elections.

LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST

CID in the Media

Below is a selection of recent CID media coverage:

Associated Press

The California State Controller’s race is heating up and attracting national attention. CID’s Mindy Romero weighs in on its significance for Republicans if candidate Lanhee Chen, a former Mitt Romney staffer, beats out Democrat Malia Cohen.

CBS News, Los Angeles

The recent Los Angeles City Council recording scandal continues to make headlines. “What we heard on the tape was self-serving political manipulation about those individuals themselves. It wasn’t about helping the Latino community, “said Mindy Romero.

Capitol Public Radio

The leaked tape of Los Angeles City Council members’ racist remarks has generated a great deal of discussion within Latino communities about who represents them. Mindy Romero comments that the controversy has brought to light two discussions — one about the effectiveness of identity politics, and another about Latino representation in politics overall.

KNX Radio

CID’s Mindy Romero and Professor Melina Abdullah, cofounder of the LA chapter of Black Lives Matter, discuss the implications of the leaked LA City Council tape.

Yahoo News!

Can the transparency of an independent commission restore integrity and trust in LA‘s government? Mindy Romero thinks so. “Because of the huge degree of mistrust that this has already fostered and will continue to foster, we absolutely must have an independent redistricting commission,” she told reporter Francine Kiefer.

Politico

Mindy Romero tells Politico that the Los Angeles City Council leaked tapes offered proof of “the manipulation we know is present in the redistricting process and our political systems…so much of what people believe to be true is on that tape.”

USA Today

As the 2022 midterms approach, President Biden‘s recent marijuana criminal pardons could help Democrats in some states, said CID’s Mindy Romero. This includes Pennsylvania, a swing state with close races where marijuana legalization is an ongoing debate.

KCRA-3, Sacramento NBC

California has historically had a voting electorate that does not look like the entire population, Mindy Romero told NBC Sacramento. She added that the same disparate outcome will occur this November, despite experts saying overall turnout is expected to surpass other recent midterm elections.

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Center for Inclusive Democracy

The Center for Inclusive Democracy (CID) is part of the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. CID conducts a range of national and multi-state research initiatives exploring voting behavior, civic engagement, electoral and economic research, the intersection of social justice and democracy, and more. Its research informs and empowers a wide range of policy and organizing efforts aimed at eliminating disparities in social and economic well-being.

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