Harris campaign preps for post-election legal challenges

>>> WE ARE 51 DAYS FROM ELECTION DAY AND WHILE IT IS GEARING UP TO BE QUITE THE RATTLE ON THE BALLOT, KAMALA HARRIS IS PREPARING FOR A POTENTIAL FIGHT POST ELECTION DAY. HER CAMPAIGN HAS ADDED MARC ELIAS, A LAWYER IN THE COUNTRY TO TAKE ON WHAT SHE ANTICIPATES WILL BE CHALLENGES FROM REPUBLICANS ALLEGING VOTER FRAUD AND POTENTIALLY THE OUTCOME OF THE 2024 ELECTION ITSELF. ARE WE ABOUT THE SEAT HANGING CHAD 2.0? I HOPE NOT. JOINING ME NOW IS THE FOUNDER OF DEMOCRACY DOCKET AND A PARTNER MARC ELIAS. MARC, YOU ARE ONE OF THE BUSIEST MEN I KNOW SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOU TAKING THE TIME TO JOIN US TODAY. I WANTED TO START OFF TO EXPLAIN TO OUR VIEWERS, THERE IS A BRIEF PART STRATEGY THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE DEPLOYED TO SUBVERT THIS YEAR'S ELECTION. WALK OUR VIEWERS THROUGH THAT. >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME. A BIG FAN OF YOURS. THE REPUBLICAN PLAN FOR 2024 IS FIRST TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR YOU TO VOTE. IF YOU ARE UP THERE WATCHING THIS, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND ITS LAWYERS ARE IN COURTHOUSES AROUND THE COUNTRY TRYING TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR YOU TO CAST YOUR BALLOT AND TO REGISTER AND FOR YOUR VOTE TO COUNT. THAT IS THE CORNERSTONE OF THEIR PROGRAM. THE SECOND IS THAT THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO HARASS AND INTIMIDATE VOTERS AND BE ABLE TO CHALLENGE THEIR BALLOT. IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF HYPERBOLE. RIGHT NOW THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THEIR ALLIES ARE IN COURT THING THEY HAVE A FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO HARASS VOTERS AND INTIMIDATE ELECTION OFFICIALS AND THEY ARE PROMOTING LAWS AND COURT CASES TO ALLOW THEM TO SUBMIT LONG SPREAD SHIPS -- SPREADSHEETS OF NAMES AND ASKED THOSE PEOPLE TO BE REMOVED SO THEY CANNOT VOTE. THE THIRD PART OF THE PLAN THAT THEY HAVE AS WE HAVE SEEN WITH STATES IN GEORGIA IS TO CHALLENGE THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS. TOO ESSENTIALLY, AFTER ALL THE BALLOTS HAVE BEEN CAST AND PUT A THUMB ON THE SCALE AND WHETHER THEY CERTIFY AFTER RESULTS OR CERTIFY THEM ON TIME. OR WHETHER THEY EMPOWER THEIR ELECTION DENIERS AND LOCAL OFFICE TO SUBVERT THE RESULTS. >> THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN IS HAVING YOU OVERSEE POTENTIAL RECOUNTS OF FOR ELECTION DAY AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO BE READY? TO HAVE THE LEGAL TEAM READY TO GO, ESPECIALLY WITH HER CAMPAIGN? >> LET ME SAY IT IS AN HONOR TO BE PART OF A LARGE TEAM OF LAWYERS WHO ARE WORKING FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT. I WAS PROUD TO REPRESENT KAMALA HARRIS IN THE U.S. SENATE AND BE HER GENERAL COUNSEL IN 2020 AND TO HAVE DONE A SIMILAR ROLE THAT I AM DOING NOW FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN IN THE AFTERMATH OF 2020. THE ROLE OF THE TEAM HERE AND FOR LAWYERS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY ELIGIBLE VOTER CAN VOTE AND HAVE THEIR VOTE COUNTED. WHAT WE SEE BY REPUBLICANS IS A POLITICAL PARTY THAT HAS STOPPED DOING GET OUT THE VOTE. STOP SAYING THAT THEY NEED TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO VOTE INSTEAD, DONALD TRUMP HAS TOLD THE RNC TO FOCUS ON THE VOTER SUPPRESSION AND OTHER TACTICS. THERE WILL BE LAWYERS ENSURING THAT THE PROCESS IS FAIR AND EVERYONE CAN CAST THEIR BALLOT. I THINK THAT IS PART OF THE ESSENCE OF DEMOCRACY. >> I WILL DO A PITCH THAT YOU DID NOT ASKED ME TO BUT I WILL TELL TO GO AND SUBSCRIBE AND FILE THE DEMOCRACY DOCKET AT THE WEBSITE WITH WHAT YOU ARE DOING. NOT ONLY IS IT INFORMATIVE BUT IT ALSO IS KEEPING TRACK OF THE VOTING CASES YOU NOTED YESTERDAY. WE HAD 200 VOTING CASES FOR THIS ELECTION CYCLE. THE 200th CASE, THIS IS THE MILESTONE CASE THAT DEALS WITH ELECTRONIC I.D.s AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA THAT UNIVERSITY TOOK THE TIME TO ENSURE THAT ELECTRONIC I.D., THOSE USED BY STUDENTS AND FACULTY COULD COUNT FOR PURPOSES OF PROVIDING AND VERIFYING IDENTITY TO VOTE. WHY SHOULD AMERICANS ARE NOT AT THE UNC OR IN NORTH CAROLINA CARE ABOUT LITIGATION THAT IS BEING BROUGHT BY THE RNC IN THAT STATE TO PREVENT USERS OF ELECTRONIC I.D.s TO USE THOSE WHEN THEY GO TO VOTE? >> THE REASON WHY EVERYONE SHOULD CARE ABOUT THIS IS BECAUSE IT PUTS TOO BAD OF A LIE THAT WILL REPUBLICANS WANT IS JUST I.D. NORTH CAROLINA HAS ONE OF THE STRICTEST I.D. REQUIREMENTS IN THE COUNTRY. THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA IS NOT JUST SOME COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY. IT IS THE FLAGSHIP UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA. THE I.D. THAT THE UNC PUT TOGETHER IS A STATE ISSUED I.D.. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS REPUBLICANS CLAIM THEY WANT. THEY WANT PEOPLE TO USE STATE ISSUED I.D.s. THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA ISSUED STATE ISSUED I.D.s IN ELECTRONIC FORM TO FACULTY AND STUDENTS IN THE RNC IS STILL STEWING OVER THAT. IT IS NOT ABOUT THEM WANTING ELECTION INTEGRITY. THEY DO NOT LIKE ANY THAT STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO VOTE THEY THINK THOUGH STUDENTS MAY VOTE AGAINST THEIR INTEREST AND THEY ARE LOOKING TO DISENFRANCHISE THOSE STUDENTS. IT WILL NOT WORK AND THEY WILL LOSE THE CASE. >> MARC, WE OBVIOUSLY ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT HAPPENS IN THE RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE. THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, I LIKE TO SAY DEMOCRACY IS LOCAL. PEOPLE DEALING WITH DEMOCRACY WITH THINGS THAT ARE DOWN THE STREET WHEN THEY GO TO PULL A PERMIT TO BUILD A HOUSE OR DEAL WITH THE DOGCATCHER. THE REASON WHY I BRING THIS UP IS BECAUSE YOU WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN ENSURING THE AMENDMENT THREE IN MISSOURI, THE IDEA OF HAVING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM AND HAVING IT ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER. YOU WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN SHOWING IT GOT BACK THERE. WE HAVE AMENDMENT FOUR IN FLORIDA WITH THE SAME IDEA. WHY IS IT THAT YOUR BATTLES ARE NOT JUST NATIONAL? SOME OF THE BATTLES THAT YOU ARE DOING LEGALLY ARE HAPPENING WITH IN PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS IN THEIR OWN STATES? >> FIRST OF ALL LET ME SAY, IT WAS OTHER LAWYERS WHO BROUGHT THE CASE IN MISSOURI. CREDIT TO THEM. I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE CREDIT FOR YOUR WORK. YOUR POINT IS STILL TAKEN. MOST OF ELECTION ADMINISTRATION IS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. WE DON'T ADMINISTER ELECTIONS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND WE DO NOT DO MOST OF OUR DEMOCRACY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL SO MUCH TAKES PLACE AT THE STATE DEVIL, AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WITH BALLOT INITIATIVES, WITH REFERENDA AND WITH THE RULES ABOUT HOW PEOPLE REGISTERED TO VOTE AND HOW THEY VOTE AND HAVE THE VOTES COUNTED . IF WE ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE LOCAL COURTHOUSES OR WHAT IS THE LOCAL CANVASSING BOARDS, IN THE SHOPPING CENTER'S WORK PEOPLE COLLECT SIGNATURES, WE ARE MISSING OUT ON WHERE MOST OF DEMOCRACY TAKES PLACE. >> MARC, BEFORE WE LET YOU GO WE LOOK AT GEORGIA AS ONE OF THE BIG BATTLEGROUND STATES BUT ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE LEGAL STATES WHEN IT COMES TO VOTER INTEGRITY. A BENCH TRIAL HAS BEEN SCHEDULED TO OCCUR IN OCTOBER DEALING WITH THE ATTEMPTS BY THE GEORGIA STATE ELECTION BOARD TO CREATE MORE OBSTACLES TO CERTIFYING ELECTIONS. TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR VIEWER SHOULD SEE AND IT WILL BE BROADCAST WE CAN SEE IT AND LISTEN TO IT AS IT HAPPENS IN REAL TIME, THAT BENCH TRIAL. >> WHICH IS REALLY GREAT, BY THE WAY. KATIE, I KNOW YOU HAVE BEEN A FAN OF THIS AS WELL. MORE COURTS SHOULD OPEN UP THEIR PROCEEDING SO PEOPLE CAN SEE WHAT IS GOING ON. YOU ARE RIGHT, GEORGIA IS ONE OF THE MOST HEAVILY LITIGATED STATES ALONG WITH PENNSYLVANIA, WISCONSIN, ARIZONA AND NEVADA. GEORGIA IS PART OF GROUND ZERO. IT IS THERE BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS TOOK OVER THE STATE ELECTION BOARD. DONALD TRUMP CALLED OUT THREE OF THE FIVE MEMBERS FOR PASSING A RULE THAT IS CLEARLY AIMED AT TRYING TO ALLOW ELECTION DENIERS AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, WHO SIT ON THE LOCAL BOARDS TO REFUSE TO CERTIFY ELECTIONS OR CERTIFY IN ATTIC ELECTIONS. AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY DONALD TRUMP KNOWS THE NAMES OF THREE OF THE FIVE ELECTION BOARD MEMBERS AND CALLED THEM PIT BULLS. THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE, KUDOS TO THEM AND THEIR LAWYERS, BROUGHT THEIR LAWSUIT BECAUSE THAT RULE BY THE BOARD IS CONTRARY TO STATE LAW. I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE DNC WILL WIN THAT CASE AND WE WILL HAVE ACCURATE ELECTION CERTIFIED NOVEMBER IN GEORGIA. >> MARC ELIAS, GRATEFUL FOR YOU BATTLING IN TH