Reclaiming Democracy

 

What can be done to increase voter turnout? New Jersey's voter turnout rates are at record lows. Join us as we hear from experts offering their solutions to combat decreased voter participation. The day will run from 9 am - 3 pm and will include breakfast and lunch, a keynote speaker, a panel, and afternoon workshop sessions.

 

Keynote Speaker: Sam Daley-Harris

Sam Daley-Harris is the author of Reclaiming our Democracy: Healing the Break Between People and Government, a book about finding solutions through powerful citizen action.

In 2012 Daley-Harris launched the Center for Citizen Empowerment and Transformation to help organizations more deeply engage their supporters and create champions in Congress and the media for their cause.

Daley-Harris has degrees in music and is a songwriter. He lives in Princeton, NJ with his wife, Reverend Shannon Daley-Harris and their children Micah and Sophie.

Voter Empowerment Panel

Following the keynote address, a panel of experts will offer different perspectives on increasing voter turnout.

S. Nadia Hussain, Program Coordinator, The Andrew Goodman Foundation

S. Nadia Hussain is the Program Coordinator at the Andrew Goodman Foundation. She plays a key role in the coordination, development, and management of the Vote Everywhere program, which brings together 63 college students on 23 campuses around the country to organize around voter registration and education, civic engagement, and social justice activism. Hussain is on the national governing board of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum and has a background in women's rights issues, from reproductive justice to anti-domestic violence work. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the New Leaders Council - New Jersey as well as on the Diversity Committee of the New Leaders Council National. Prior to her work at AGF, Nadia worked to politically empower inner city minority youth in California. Hussain has a deep passion for politics, particularly increasing the involvement and power of women and minorities. Hussain received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Rutgers University.

Wendy Martinez, President and CEO, Atabey Consulting Group, LLC

Wendy Martinez is President/CEO of Atabey Consulting Group, LLC and an Associate of 1868 Public Affairs. Martinez specializes in providing professional services and resources in the areas of public affairs, public relations, media relations, political consulting, media production in both English and Spanish, development of effective marketing concepts, and persuasive engagement strategies that resonate in ethnic markets. She is one of New Jersey's top political consultants in ethnic voter outreach and organizing. Martinez, an independent minded person, has strong opinions and is passionate about New Jersey's growing immigrant communities.

Flavio Komuves, Attorney, Zazzali, Fagella, Nowak, Kleinbaum, & Friedman

Flavio Komuves found himself involved in his first election law case when  complimentary refreshments were being offered to residents at the Toms River Board of Elections as an incentive to get them to vote. Komuves has years of experience defending voting rights. He was Deputy Public Advocate and the lead attorney on the Department's Voting Rights Project. He oversaw the planning and execution of the Department's annual Election Day courthouse representation project.Komuves also negotiated with other state agencies to resolve and cure State noncompliance with both US and NJ voting laws.

Benjamin Brickner, Counsel, Brennan Center for Justice

Bejamin Brickner serves as counsel to the Brennan Center's Democracy Program, where his work focuses on electoral campaign finance and its impact within democratic institutions. Before joining the Center, Mr. Brickner was an associate in the New York office of Debevoise & Plimpton and member of its Real Estate Group. His pro bono work included environmental conservation matters and development of non-profit organizations. Brickner is the author of Reading Between the Lines: Congressional and State Legislative Redistricting, a citizens' guide and prescription for reform of the redistricting process, and co-author of Clean Elections: Public Financing in Six States, a policy primer and multi-case study of publicly financed electoral campaigns. Brickner received his J.D. from Columbia Law School. He received a Master in Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School and B.A. from Cornell University.

Afternoon Workshop Sessions: Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in one workshop session of their choosing (you will be asked to make a selection when registering).

The American Anti-Corruption Act and Opportunities for NJ Municipalities

David Goodman and Susan Colby, Represent.Us. Central NJ

Big money poses dangers for our democracy. This workshop will describe a grassroots campaign for enacting provisions of the "American Anti-Corruption Act" as a means of campaign finance reform. Participants will have an opportunity to learn a comprehensive approach toward ending the political dysfunction that threatens representative democracy.

The Dangers of Fracking, Gas Pipelines, and Climate Change

Doug O'Malley, Director, Environment New Jersey

The Delaware River watershed provides drinking water for more than 15 million people, including 3 million New Jersey residents. New Jersey is increasingly finding itself in the crosshairs of the fossil fuel industry. Doug O'Malley will provide training and tools participants can use to educate their communities about fracking, pipelines, and climate change.

If All Politics is Local, should there be a Uniform Code of Ethics for Local Politics?  

Paula Franzese, Peter W. Rodino Professor of Law, Seton Hall Law School 

Professor Paula Franzese, the Peter W. Rodino Professor of Law at Seton Hall Law School, who, as special Ethics Counsel worked to pioneer the establishment of the Uniform Ethics Commission, will facilitate a discussion of the feasibility of using the NJ state code of ethics as a model for developing and enforcing a uniform code of ethics for county and local government.

All About Redistricting 

Ingrid Reed, Policy Analyst

A state's redistricting process can have a tremendous influence in shaping elections, but do you know how the lines are drawn in New Jersey? Join policy analyst and League member Ingrid Reed for an exploration of redistricting and a discussion about possible changes and how they might be achieved.

Special Group Session: How to Conduct a Study - Following the afternoon workshops, we will all come back together to discuss the two upcoming LWVUS studies and the two upcoming LWVNJ studies. You will leave with a better understanding of the study process.

 Sponsored by:

New Jersey Hospital Association

Register Now!