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SantaBarbaraCountyCensus.org, or send an email to CensusSBC@ CountyOfSB.org. You can also call 844-330-2020 to find out more information by phone. Local organizers are also still making rounds door to door, but don’t wait for them to show up at your door, especially when participating online is so easy.
to confirm your registration status. This is especially important if you moved or changed your name. In fact, I re-registered this year because I recently read a book on voter suppression and learned that, a woman who changes her name after marriage but does not change her voter registration may still vote but her vote may not be counted. There are several other situations where voters’ ballots are not counted due to “administrative” errors. Vote.org or USVoteFoundation.org allows you to register online, check your status, and learn all about California’s registration and vote-by-mail
deadlines. There are even banners on Facebook reminding people to register to vote, making it easy for them to do so with the click of a conveniently placed button. Be the difference you want to see in your community and beyond. If you don’t understand how the census or voting might affect you or your family, take some time to research and find out. We the people fought for the power to participate in both acts for a reason. Let’s not let that power fall to the wayside. – Renée Nordstrand
VOTER REGISTRATION
With the presidential election less than two months away, now is the time to also make sure you’re registered to vote. Even if you’ve previously registered, it’s important
For several months now, and long before that, sentiments surrounding systemic racism in America have been heightened to extreme levels. The murder of George Floyd and every wrongful death like his have brought out a singular emotion of rage and disappointment that racism and discrimination still exist, and we’ve seen this reflected in all the protests around the country. As a lawyer, I am a champion of the law, but as a human being, I strive for equality. When I see discrimination, I feel empowered to fight injustice. Now is the perfect storm — a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the murder of George Floyd has stirred passions to the boiling point. In response to public outrage, both the House and Senate introduced police reform bills in June. Perhaps, the world is finally ready to enact the needed change to stomp out racism. I’ve represented people of all races stopped by officers without probable cause, and although I, as a white woman, can’t truly understand what they go through, I can work hard to help. I’m proud of our legal community, which has stepped up to educate our communities and to work toward police reform. Civil rights lawyers across the country have done interviews to discuss how the legal community and others can help enact change. We’ve seen police chiefs leading protests for change in their own systems, companies giving more races noticeable representation in their advertising, and GREAT CHANGE IS HAPPENING AND STILL HAS YET TO COME
professional sports teams with names steeped in controversy changing them. There are resources making it easier than ever for people to educate themselves on what racism truly means and how to combat it. And more people are jumping at that chance than ever before. There’s still a very, very long way to go. I am hopeful that we can make progress and that things can become better for all. But it must start with us. As residents of this earth, we can always do more, even if we take the smallest of steps to start. We can read books (try “How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi, which I’m reading now), watch documentaries, and reach out to others with more knowledge than us. We can write to local legislators, urge police reform, engage in peaceful protesting, and serve on juries. We can do so much to empower the change that is needed. Let’s do it together.
2 • NORDSTRANDLAW.COM
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