a not too late (restorative) conversation about the election [ft. swap your vote]

Tap in for an important conversation about the election, community care, and building a more just and equitable world, no matter who wins, through a restorative justice lens.

Voting ends in about 24 in most spaces so its not too late, especially if you're considering casting a protest vote.

Vote Harris in a swing state to defeat Trump.

Cast a protest vote in a safe state to put Dems on notice.

Go to swapyourvote.org to pledge and stay connected!

Visit swapyourvote.org for more info.

But there are parts of this conversation that apply to the rest of this week, and your political life moving forward.

Chapters

• 0:00 Navigating the Presidential Election Voting Process
• 11:30 Vote Swapping for Future Strategy
• 23:59 Amplify Restorative Justice Podcast Transition

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

The most important thing to remember when you're voting for President of the United States is Hi, my name is David Ryan Varsega, castro, harris all five names for all the ancestors, and welcome to the Amplify RJ podcast as I amplify the philosophy, practices and values of restorative justice as I navigate the world. Restorative justice is a philosophy, set of practices and values that are rooted in indigenous values of interconnection that emphasize repair of harm when harm occurs, but also proactively focuses on building and strengthening relationships rooted in equity and trust. So you can apply that framework to lots of different settings, and the thing that is front of mind for me and so many people is the US election. A couple caveats. Amplifyrj isn't inherently political, although you can make your assumptions about where I stand based on the fact that I explicitly teach restorative justice through an abolitionist, anti-racist and decolonial lens. I am no political expert. These are my opinions. I'm not telling you who to vote for, how to vote and when we're talking about US elections, let's remember that we're having this conversation about a country that was built on land theft, genocide, broken treaties, forced assimilation and chattel slavery. So, with that being said, this conversation is about the election tomorrow and about how to engage in political life under these circumstances in general.

Speaker 1: 1:26

So the most important thing to remember about voting for the President of the United States is the job of the President. So let's go over that For those of you who don't know. The job of the President of the United States is to lead the executive branch of the federal government, act as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and serve as the head of state and government. This means that their responsibility includes implementing, enforcing or vetoing laws passed by Congress, conducting foreign policy, appointing federal judges, officials, ambassadors and cabinet members. The president also sets national priorities, proposes legislation and prepares the federal budget. So the president isn't a dictator. The president can't just enact whatever policy they want. We do have executive orders, but those are used sparingly and with very specific circumstances, and so when you think about voting for the person that you want to uphold that office, so when you think about the options that we have for the person to fill this job, we have two major candidates. One, donald Trump, would do a terrible job from my perspective at the vast majority of these things. He is not someone who would build the world that I want to see again, with values of equity and trust and building and strengthening relationships and repairing harm. That's not something that goes with the person or the politics of Donald Trump.

Speaker 1: 2:52

Now, the other major candidate is Kamala Harris. Right, and there are many things that I agree with her with, and there are many things about her and her policies and the Democratic Party's agenda that I don't agree with and find intolerable. In fact, if you're like me, one of the major points of contention with the Harris-Walls campaign is the way that they are going to deal with foreign policy, specifically around the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people in the apartheid Israeli state. So, with that in mind, let's focus on the commander-in-chief part of the Palestinian people in the apartheid Israeli state. So, with that in mind, let's focus on the commander-in-chief part of the president's job. What are they the commander-in-chief of? When we say commander-in-chief, they are the commander-in-chief of the US armed forces, but really it's the US empire. There's no doubt that the US is the world's most dominant military power and the President of the United States is devoted to preserving US power. Where they can and they'll do whatever it takes. So when we think about the person who's going to inhabit this role, specifically from the two major political parties, of course they're going to do everything in their power to maintain a friendly military presence in the Middle East. This video is not going to go into all the details of the conflict of the Middle East and the creation of the state of Israel and how that's been propped up by Western powers, but with US military dominance in mind, of course, the candidates of the major parties are going to make decisions that I don't agree with and that don't align with restorative principles.

Speaker 1: 4:20

Right, when we think about restorative justice, it's about doing things with people, not having power over them, not exerting power over not doing things for people and not ignoring problems. What are the ways that we can do things in collaboration, with equity in mind? Sharing power, that's not the way that most countries in the world work transparently, but that's not the way, specifically, that the strongest military power in the world works either. As someone whose arguably leftist political awakening was over a decade ago, these things don't surprise me anymore. So my encouragement to you, as you're looking to people in positions of power who are doing things that you disagree with, is to stop being disappointed in people who are doing the job that they signed up to do. At best, they're upholding inequitable systems and at worst, they're strengthening them. People who seek out power and are protected by power will do whatever it takes to keep power. So, instead of being disappointed in people who are not upholding expectations you set for them without their consent, organize protest. Use every tool at your disposal to force them into making the changes that you want to see. Don't get it twisted Electoral politics is not our pathway to collective liberation, and I believe our country and world would be a lot worse under a Donald Trump presidency.

Speaker 1: 5:39

There are many things that I agree with the Harris-Walls campaign about, but I won't stand for some of the foreign and domestic policy decisions that they'll make. So I'm not here to vote. Shame. And I understand if you're someone who says, forget, make. So I'm not here to vote. Shame. And I understand if you're someone who says forget all this, I'm not voting. These people don't represent me. But since I'm a citizen of my city, my county, my state and my country, not voting to me means that I don't get an opportunity to voice my opinion with the tools given to me in this specific way. So I'm voting third party because here in California, my vote for Harris or Trump won't decide where the electoral votes go and I registered with Swap your Vote to let a similarly minded voter in a swing state cast their vote for Harris-Walls in good conscience. To break that down, here's an excerpt of a conversation I had with their team on Instagram earlier today.

Speaker 2: 6:25

Hi, I'm Maren. I'm one of the social media leads for Swap your Vote. I joined honestly in the project. A week and a half ago I saw it in a Facebook group. Someone posted about it. I was like, oh, this is a great idea. And then it's just been up and up from there.

Speaker 1: 6:43

Yeah, I mean for me. I saw it this morning, like the way that it came together. I was watching John Oliver and like at the end of his thing he was like, oh, swap your vote. And like, oh, I mean, I already voted last week third party. I was like, oh, this could be a little bit more useful. So I went to the Googles I'm like, oh, there's a project in the UK that does this, apparently. Yeah, I saw this from our US base and decided I would reach out. And here we are.

Speaker 1: 7:13

So I imagine that most people who follow Amplify are J, and I'm making this assumption, and if it's not true for you, I'm sorry, but obviously you don't want to support Trump and do anything that you can to not let him be president again, because that would be disastrous for so many people in our country. And while there are a lot of things that we agree with with the Harris-Walls campaign, there are a lot of things that we can't tolerate, specifically around the ongoing genocide in the apartheid state of Israel of the Palestinian people. And for me personally, there are some domestic things as well, and everybody has their particulars about you know why a vote for Harris or Harris-Walls isn't the greatest idea for them. I'm in California and it was easy for me to decide to vote third party, and I have. Historically, because it's California, it's going to go blue. But how can we, as people in safe states or people in swing states of this political leaning, do our best to make sure that our voices are heard while minimizing the risk of a Trump presidency?

Speaker 2: 8:19

Yeah, that's great to hear. I'm glad you found it today, you know, you know it's the day before as well, but yeah, so I'm originally from Pennsylvania and I'm a Pennsylvania voter and I was feeling very, very conflicted with what to do Because I think, like you mentioned, there are a lot of pressures on all sides to either vote for Harris to stop Trump is the one argument or obviously vote third party, because you don't want to vote for someone committing genocide, which is completely valid. And I kind of personally felt like, oh, I guess I'll walk in the voting booth and flip a coin, kind of feeling of like I honestly don't know what I'm going to do because there isn't a clear moral obligation or decision. There isn't a clear moral obligation or decision, and so, kind of now that we're in the final hours, I would say the biggest thing to help is to talk to your friends that are feeling that way, especially in swing states, because currently we have about 10 times more safe state folks signed up than swing state voters, and that's just because of the nature.

Speaker 2: 9:29

There are a lot more safe states in the country than there are these swing states, these like seven-ish states, where each one it comes down to a couple thousand votes, and so if you know anyone that's having these feelings, doesn't know what to do and is looking for any sort of you know anyone that's having these feelings, doesn't know what to do and is looking for any sort of you know not solution but like a strategy, definitely point them in our direction. And we're matching super fast. We're like a little bit of a backlog. I think we have like a hundred Swing State voters still waiting for a match, but we have a team that's like going, going, gonna, keep going all night long until we get everyone yeah, this is done, super grassroots.

Speaker 1: 10:11

Can you tell me a little bit about the origin of the project?

Speaker 2: 10:14

yeah. So um ray is one of the co-founders and um, they're a part of rabbis for ceasefire, um and a couple other grassroots organizing efforts. And then andrew, one of our other co-organizers, um is is actually the creator of the climate clock in New York City. If you've ever seen it with the countdown and I think a little bit of the story goes um, I think one of them had voted third party in 2000. With what?

Speaker 2: 10:43

For Ralph Nader, and then we ended up with a Bush presidency, gore losing by just about 200 votes, and vote swapping was actually utilized in that election, and if about 200 more people had swapped their votes in Florida, we would have had a Gore presidency and not a Bush presidency, and that obviously could have had exponential impacts on US involvement in the Middle East or Afghanistan. So I think for them there were some lessons learned and they were also, through activist circles, connected with the UK folks that have just done this successfully, uk France there's been a lot of talk about oh my gosh, there was this left coalition upset, the right wing lost and that's because there was a strategic vote swapping happening. Um, so this is not a strategy that is new and it's not a strategy that is just in the us.

Speaker 1: 11:36

This is something that um is used globally yeah, I mean the first time that I realized what was like watching the west wing a long time ago, there was this episode where um donna had, like a, miscast her ballot and like found a republican to switch and, like you know, that's like a kitschy love love story that started from there. But, um, this is legal. We should say, like this is legal. Um and um, there are lots of people who are willing to do this and I think you know this being the day before um, I'm thinking about tomorrow, but I'm also thinking about this idea on this scale is new to so many people. And so, like, by sharing your email address in a safe state or a swing state, when we're thinking about building power for the future, having this infrastructure built now, even if you're already in a safe state, and like you know, like you said, like you have a surplus, like send your information to swap your vote.

Speaker 1: 12:32

So in the future, when you know the democrat, I don't have a lot of hope for the democratic party moving forward in the future as we continue to organize and continue to be in relationship with people who think left of what the democratic Party has to offer more progressively and you know people can use other adjectives to describe their leftist politics. There are movements that can be built from moments like this. It's not just about tomorrow, although tomorrow is important. Talk to your friends in swing states. If you're in a safe state, share your information. But it's not just about this moment. It's about the future that we're going to continue to build.

Speaker 2: 13:10

The other thing I'll say, too, is if you have a friend in a swing state that you love and trust, you can just swap, you know. You know you don't have to sign up on our website. Some people are like well, you know, like with a stranger, how can I do this? Which is a very valid, you know concern. And so if you know someone that you trust to your vote with, like, that is a perfect opportunity. And then, as you mentioned, it is legal. So the it was the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, porter v Bowen, 2007. If anyone wants to look up the court case, vote swapping is protected under First Amendment free speech, and again, reiterating, at the end of the day's a pledge. There's no monetary or financial exchange. It's about strategy, it's about communication, it's about trust, and so that's how it's protected. And we, you know, talk to the original lawyer that argued and won the case, and so you know we're set there. I know a lot of people are initially like why is loud?

Speaker 1: 14:07

but yes, yeah, it is yeah, so a pretty straightforward process. It took me like four minutes to go through. On swapyourvoteorg uh, that's important, that our part is important, um, and really want to encourage people to use that to vote if I was, uh, or to exchange that or at least share your information. Um, if I was savvier with social media, I think I would have that linked somewhere. But it's pretty straightforward. Um, swap your vote, or. I know it's in y'all's bio as well. Um, I think we've got a question um there. Is it really swapping if most safe state folks getting involved, we're leaning third party already? Um, I don't know how you want to take that. Yeah, if you've got a response, yeah, I mean, we're definitely looking.

Speaker 2: 14:53

We're looking mostly for those swing state voters that are like really on the fence, not so much the people that have, like really decided like, oh yeah, I'm going to vote for Harris and I was always going to vote for Harris. Like we're looking for those people that this is kind of their swap. This is a solution for them. This is a solution for them. But obviously everyone is welcome to like join in and participate. And I would say it is still a swap because part of the pledge is pledging to vote for who the swing state would have voted for in their state. So maybe, like you're leaning on voting third party and you're thinking about voting for Jill Stein, but then you get paired with a swing state voter and they would have voted for Claudia and Karina, right? So then your pledge is to vote for their choice rather than like the direction that you would have gone in originally.

Speaker 1: 15:45

Yeah, and you know, earlier on Scambrow's scrolling and this Octavia Butler quote came up, when, you know, a student had asked her about, like you're naming all these problems, what's the solution? And she's like there's no single answer that will solve all of our futures problems. There's no magic bullet. Instead, there are thousands of answers at least, and you can be one of them if you choose. Right, this is not a cure. All Right, with your action today, you're not going to swing an election for Cornel West Claudia and Karina Orgelstein for Cornell West Claudia and Karina Orgelstein, right, like we're very realistic about what that's doing, but like this is strategy for building for the future. And, like likes said in the comments, this is two for one. So you're matching you're actually matching two safe state voters to every one swing state voter, so we're making sure that.

Speaker 2: 16:33

Yeah, we originally had like a one-to-one one and then we had so many more safe state folks sign up and you know we like checked and it's still protected by free speech, and I think it also helps some of those voters in swing states that are still hesitant, you know, to be like well, we can like two for one, we can double your impact. Because the reality is is that the um candidates, the like major party candidates, are right now like pretty much exclusively campaigning in swing states and they're missing out on these millions of people across the country in these like supposedly safe states that just get ignored and taken. You know their votes are taken for granted, um. So part of this, too, is saying like, hey, you know, you can't just expect our votes all the time, like we're we're leveraging the fact that it is mostly safe, but we are saying like we're gonna put you on notice, like you know, you need to earn our votes too. You need to earn every vote across the country.

Speaker 1: 17:32

It's not something that you can just expect from us, you know, without, without earning it yeah, and like when we, when we're naming problems in the us electoral system right, myriad, and you know, not all of them are getting solved today but, um, this is a way for again those of us who are third party minded, towards the left specifically, and I think that's important. Um, one of the things that I saw on your website like you're not swapping with, uh, people in red state. Like you're not swapping for trump boats, right, um, right, um, it's really uh, like I really appreciated that being explicitly laid out on on the website. Um, anything else that you wanted to leave the people with.

Speaker 2: 18:13

Yeah, I was gonna say to think about long-term strategies. We have an faq on the website. Anything else that you wanted to leave the people with? Yeah, I was gonna say to think about long term strategies. We have an FAQ on our website now and you know there's still a conversation that's going to happen with, like, our internal team of like how we're going to pivot.

Speaker 2: 18:25

Obviously, abolishing the electoral college, you know, changes everything, changes the game. There's a national popular vote compact, interstate vote compact. So checking that out and then also looking into alternative voting systems such as ranked choice voting or approval voting, allows for votes to get split and for like folks that are running that from smaller parties to be considered spoiler candidates, and different voting reforms such as rank choice voting and approval voting, eliminate that. So they eliminate, you know, any sort of like oh, this is a spoiler candidate or oh, I have to vote for the lesser of two evils. And Maine and Alaska both have rank choice voting and it's on the ballot across the country. And there's lots of other voting reforms, including like proportional representation, that are like good things to like learn about now and like start working locally. To be like, okay, how can we change our statewide election process to really amplify the voices of the people and not corporate interests. So this is just the beginning and you know we're future oriented and we're dedicated to creating a more just world for everyone in it.

Speaker 1: 19:44

Yeah, absolutely so. Action steps. Go to SwapYourVoteorg. Fill in your information. Go through that process If you want to learn more about this conversation. If you're just jumping on at the end, um, it's going to be posted in full on my instagram feed, the amplify rj instagram feed. And um, a longer uh conversation about the election um, it's going to go up in the amplify rj podcast feed. Um, thanks y'all so much for jumping on so last minute and everybody, take care of yourselves for the next couple of days, please do, please take care of yourselves.

Speaker 1: 20:22

Remember, voting is not a revolutionary act. But regardless of how Tuesday goes, there's a lot of work for us to continue to do for all of our collective liberation. Maybe swapping your vote today could be just one small action to make organizing under the next president a little less burdensome. And don't forget to pay attention to your local elections too. I know we're getting late in the process, but do your research, find voting guides that align with your values and do your best. Your city, county and state level decisions shape your world just as much as national decisions.

Speaker 1: 20:53

The second thing to remember is that your political life does not begin or end with casting a ballot. You vote every day with the way that you spend your time and with the way you spend your money. We all make trade-offs every day living under capitalism, both as workers and consumers, but you got to do the best you can. Part of that is really understanding what your values are and what compromises you're willing to make on a personal level in our imperfect world. But if you want to be more intentionable about making equitable change in your community, find the people who are doing work in your community and work alongside them. I'm not here to endorse a specific party or organization, but there are always people in your community who are fighting the good fight.

Speaker 1: 21:32

You don't have to reinvent the wheel or work from scratch. Find people who are working on an issue that you care about in a way that you feel good about and go work alongside them. They won't be perfect just like you're not perfect, and there are going to be contradictions and conflict there. But choosing your lane or choosing an issue in your community is not only a great way to build community, it's probably the most effective way that you can make change. Unless you happen to be a billionaire listen to this Shoot I'll take multi-millionaire with some cash to throw around to make some political change. Then DM me and we'll talk. I've got some ideas. The third and kind of final thing to remember about this election and this election season is that our work and the mission of collective liberation does not change. After Tuesday. We'll have to organize, educate, advocate, legislate oh man, too many rhyming words to build the world that we want to see. So get some rest, take care of yourself, check in on your community, check in on your elders, check in on your friends, especially the ones who are publicly doing the work. From experience and conversations that I've had with people, I know so many of us are tired and barely hanging on. Building a world rooted in principles of interconnection means that we take care of each other with the big decisions that we make and on the micro, interpersonal levels as well, whether it's sending some food, offering to watch somebody's kids, or just a check-in call text or DM. Connect with your community so we all can keep going in this work. Before I sign off today, I just wanted to share that my lane, david's lane, is the work of Amplify RJ. This is not an inherently political organization. I, as the founder, have principles and values that I want to put out into the world, towards justice, towards equity, but while I'm not involving myself in capital P politics, this is a place where people can learn the basics, the fundamentals of restorative justice and growing community alongside like-minded people who will encourage and challenge you.

Speaker 1: 23:45

I've been on a break for a while, but if you want to learn more about restorative justice or get involved, please make sure you're following us on all socials or sign up for our email list on our website. There will be new things coming soon In the spirit of community. I have a couple asks. One I shared some information, I shared my opinions. I'd love to know yours. If you're watching on YouTube, leave comments. If you're listening on another platform, you can comment on Spotify or hit me up via email, mediaamplifierjcom. I'd love to hear from you. Of course, there are going to be a bunch of new things coming here, so like, subscribe, rate, review and be old school about it and tell a friend. Word of mouth, I dare you.

Speaker 1: 24:27

For those of you who have been around for a while, you know that this podcast used to be called this Restorative Justice Life. Both for brand alignment reasons and because I'm doing something a little bit different than the long form interviews, I've renamed the podcast the Amplify Restorative Justice Podcast, and with that comes a new sign off. I know it's a scary time for so many of you, but in closing, let me share these words May you be safe, may you be happy, may you be happy, may you be healthy, may you live with ease and may you work for this to be true for everyone. Take care, y'all.