Monisha Brown: I am here today with Fallon McClure from the ACLU. I want to talk to you about this phenomenal program. I thought the title was very witty, “I Got 5 On It.” How did you come up with the title because it is catchy?
Fallon McClure: I am that random person that comes up with things. Typically, the ACLU of Georgia does a GOTV. We’re not a GOTV organization, right? We do legal. We do policy. But, this cycle is just like an election that was too big to sit out and not do everything possible that you think you could do, right? I knew that my boss was probably gonna, you know, as we got closer to election, be like, “We have to do something.” Normally, I’m caught off guard. So, this year I was determined to get ahead of it. I was thinking, “What can I do for GOTV?” I thought, “Election Day is November 5th.” From there, I just started thinking we can do five weeks of action leading up to November 5th. Ooh, I got five on it! Yes, it’s a nod to the culture; but, it is also because Election Day is 11-5. It’s five weeks of action. Each week you are talking to at least five people. So, it’s all about the fives.
Monisha Brown: I love it. You are a creative; you are an attorney.
Fallon McClure: Yes.
Monisha Brown: Let’s put some respect on your name. You are also one of the most fashionable, creatives that I’ve ever met in the legal field. I want to give you credit for this creative title. Thank you for explaining how you got there. Now, you mentioned that there are five steps. Tell us more about what “I Got 5 On It” it actually represents.
Fallon McClure: It started October 1st and it ends on November 5th on Election Day. The goal
was to give people an easy lift if they don’t know what to do, how to get involved, or have a lot of time. You can do it from anywhere and it’s really accessible.
We had people sign up on our website and we sent them a kit in the mail with everything they needed. The kit gave them instructions to join “I Got 5 On It.” It’s a relational organizing tool. Each week it tells you what
action to do. The first week was make sure everyone you know has registered to vote or check their
voter registration, that was prior to the October 7th voter registration deadline. Week two was
send postcards to everyone letting them know that early voting is starting next week. Week three was
take five people and go vote early. Vote as soon as possible. If you face any issues, we have time to help you fix them. Week four was knock on five of your neighbor’s doors and leave a doorhanger. (The kit had door hangers and postcards, which were included in the kit). Really simple, right? Finally, week five is all out. Text everyone you know. Call everyone you know and make sure that they’ve already voted.
It’s also a competition. There are rankings for the more people you contact. People have been excited about being on the leader board. It’s also a community. We have a chat. People are getting to know each other and encouraging each other. Each week we also have some special actions. If you are in reach, you get to do some special things with us like a town hall or get involved in our text-a-thon or we were a partner with the When We All Vote rally where we encouraged people to sign up and go hear Mrs. Obama speak. We are also having an election night eve virtual text-a-thon and election eve rally to make sure we touch everyone that we can.
Monisha Brown: What do you need in this final push? What would you tell voters?
Fallon McClure: Make sure you have a plan for Election Day. There are several organizations that are also providing rides to the polls or Lyft codes. Try to think about it in advance if you can. If anything arises,
you have time to make sure that your voice is heard. If you have an absentee ballot, we’re at the point now that you really need to put it in a drop box and not mail it back via U.S. Postal Service. We know there have been delays with the mail. As it relates to “I Got 5 on It,” just reach out to the people you know. Sometimes
we make assumptions, especially with our family and friends. They may not know what to do. Just take a second just to say, “Hey have you voted?” “Do you have a plan?”
Monisha Brown: Fallon, tell us how we can get more information on “I Got 5 on It?”
Fallon McClure: Go to our website www.acluga.org. Everything is on our website. There is a link at the top for “I Got 5 On It.” There’s a link for voter information and any questions you may have. There’s a link to learn more about the electoral races. There’s a section for know your rights and information on protecting your First Amendment rights. Everything is on our website.
To view the full interview, please visit: https://vimeo.com/1026152847?share=copy
For more information on the ACLU’s “I Got 5 On It,” please visit: https://www.acluga.org/en/our-work/i-got-5-it-get-out-vote-georgia.
