Civically Engaged and Aggressively Hot | Crooked Media
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October 13, 2022
Dare We Say
Civically Engaged and Aggressively Hot

In This Episode

November’s midterms are coming up, and we’ve got tips for staying civically engaged AND aggressively hot. Josie, Alycia, and Yasmine get into common questions among Gen Z’ers who are eligible to vote — everything from “why does this matter, the world is ending?” to “what does voter suppression even mean?” — before sharing their top 10 hottest ways to get politically involved ahead of the elections.

Show Notes

The Impact of Voter Suppression on Communities of Color [Brennan Center 1/10/22]
The Wilderness: Gen-Z Voters in Orange County [10/3/22]
Generation Z Doesn’t Remember When America Worked [The Atlantic 8/14/22]
How to get Gen Z to the voting booth [Boston Globe 5/18/22]

 

TRANSCRIPT

 

Yasmine Hamady: Hello, everyone. Hi. Good morning. 

 

Josie Totah: Hi. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Shine. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Okay Kylie. 

 

Josie Totah: Hi. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Hi. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Hi. Como estas? 

 

Josie Totah: I would like to order um a cappuccino with oat milk, chocolate on top– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Got it. 

 

Josie Totah: And um a little uh some parmesan truffle fries, por favor– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: Um. My name is–

 

Yasmine Hamady: With coffee. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: With café?

 

Josie Totah: With. Yeah, of course. My name is Josie. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Okay. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: And my name is Yasmine. And I actually would rather die than have coffee with my fries. [laughter]

 

Josie Totah: Why? It’s a great combo.

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Um, I’m– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: You’re lying, Josie. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I personally will have coffee with anything. You’ve seen me do it.

 

Yasmine Hamady: You [stuttering] have truffle fries? 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: The, not ideal, but that’s what came to your mind. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: You you okay. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I’m Alycia– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: In– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –Pascual-Peña. And I’ll take um a Cuban or Dominican uh black coffee or chai. 

 

Josie Totah: [laughing] A Cuban or Dominican Black man. Right now. [laughter]

 

Yasmine Hamady: Um and I’ll have a– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: We don’t need none of those. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –I’ll have a La Croix please. 

 

Josie Totah: What. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Thank you.

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Disgusting. Anyways. Anyways. 

 

Josie Totah: We accept all of that. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Um and this is Dare We S– And. And S– eh is eh air. We ee– 

 

Josie Totah: And you’re– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Se- eh ee. 

 

Josie Totah: –watching Disney Channel. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: I’m breaking and you’re watching the Disney– this is, Dare We Say. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Ding ding ding ding. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Da da da da da da. Da da da. So you guys, I went to a Lebanese wedding this weekend in San Francisco. 

 

Josie Totah: It looked like a Bridgerton set piece. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: It was a Bridgerton set piece. We did it. We, as if I was– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: You got married? 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –The one getting married. Um. It was at the San Francisco City Hall and it was beautiful. Um. It looked like. And also that’s where I had my prom, the San Francisco City Hall. I remember like everyone was dancing and I was like, I’m pretty sure, like, me and my ex-boyfriend back then, like, hooked up right there. Right there. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Wow. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: And it was like–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: So really sentimental. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Really sentimental. Like, I was thinking about it and I was like, this is awww like, this is so cute. Him and I. Fun fact he was oh, God. He was, he was–

 

Josie Totah: What? 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: He was white. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Oh, no, I’m going to. Yes, but I’m gonna throw up. Okay hold my hair. Hold my hair. 

 

Josie Totah: What? 

 

Yasmine Hamady: He was blue lives matter. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Oh, get out. [gasp]

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. My boy– and this was and this was– 

 

Josie Totah: What? 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –a senior in high school. 

 

Josie Totah: Why were you there? 

 

Yasmine Hamady: A senior in high school, this was 2015. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And he took you to your prom? 

 

Yasmine Hamady: 2016. Yeah. I didn’t know much back then. That’s a lie. I literally– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Glad you’re in therapy. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: We fought about it constantly, and now I’m like, I’d rather my morals. I will not swallow that for anyone. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Don’t. 

 

Josie Totah: What a dirty. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Don’t. I didn’t say shit. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: All I said was don’t. I saw the face.

 

Yasmine Hamady: Alycia looked at me when sh– when I said swallow. And she looked at me. Anyway so the wedding was gorgeous, but I had so you see this necklace? If we could do a zoom in on this necklace, it’s the Lebanese outline– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Don’t tell them what to do. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: [?] If we can zoom in and someone comes up to me, this white woman comes up to me and she goes, what island is that? 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Get out. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Swear to God. No she was like– 

 

Josie Totah: Wait wait wait were you not at a Lebanese wedding? 

 

Yasmine Hamady: I was. But white people also come to Lebanese weddings. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Wow, fun fact. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Really fun fact. We don’t discriminate. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: We let white people– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Anyone can come. 

 

Josie Totah: Wait. But why would you let– [banter]

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –Get into anything these days. 

 

Josie Totah: But why would a white person, at a Lebanese wedding, not know what Arabic letters look like? 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I’m not surprised.

 

Yasmine Hamady: It’s not an Arabic letter. It’s the outline of a country. 

 

Josie Totah: Oh, you have– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: This one. 

 

Josie Totah: Oh, I had that too. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: I have a different necklace. Mama got me this one, and it’s Lebanon. And she and I was like, if we put, if two plus two was four, right? It’s five plus five is ten, right. Then what the fuck is this? 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –fuck is this. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Like I’m just like, what is going on? You don’t think that, okay, anyways. And she was like Oahu and I was like, no. Oh god. 

 

Josie Totah: Oahu?? 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Like like–

 

Yasmine Hamady: Oahu! Does this look like Hawaii? Like–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Like the the the culture now. Not Hawaii. The the culture of the wedding at which you’re in– at? 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Is this country. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Is this country. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: This girl. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: But you know what? We’re just going to, she was a sweetheart. But I was like, aww. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I’m not surprised though. Josie and I were on set, and we saw it first hand a white woman ask my amazing, talented hairstylist, Porshawna, um what state was around her neck on a necklace. And she had to tell her it was Africa. And I was like, there’s no way she’s being serious. But also, this was also the same um very surprising white woman who went up to another Black hairstylist on our set and said, Happy birthday Porshawna. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Oh, she said. Oh, so. There can be more than one Black woman? 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Got it. Got you got you got you got you. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: It was really mind blowing for her. It was really it was really fascinating. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Um but–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: But I’m glad you enjoyed the wedding. It did look insane. I don’t think–

 

Yasmine Hamady: The wedding was beautiful. And like the bride and groom, like, genuinely like, they’re so in love. And it just made me feel like. And when, like, the father who’s like my doctor, like, he’s incredible like walked her down the aisle. I just started crying because then I just thought about, like, my dad walking me down the aisle and like, my mom and just seeing like one day I can’t wait to get married and spend the rest of my life with someone. Is it going to be anytime soon? I’d rather skin myself alive. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Have you, [laugh] have you– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: But. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Have you always yearned to be married? Yeah?

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yes. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Seriously. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: My, my greatest– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Like since you were little, you were like, I’m want to get married. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yes. Since I was a kid, I’m most excited to have kids, have my own kids, obviously, whether I can or not or whether I decide to adopt– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: No yeah of course. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Um. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: They’re your children. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: They’re regard– Exactly. Um. [indistinct]

 

Josie Totah: I kind of want to Sandra Bullock it. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah!! 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Wait what? 

 

Josie Totah: Sandra Bullock. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Oh, oh. You mean her in real life. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Not The Blind Side. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I was thinking The Blind Side. [banter]

 

Yasmine Hamady: You thought the Blind Side! You said, well, you’re going to find a man on the other side of the street and we’re going to have a white savior moment. Please, Josie. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I was like you want to Blind Side? 

 

Yasmine Hamady: No. 

 

Josie Totah: Bitch that was the biggest white savior film of all time. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: She kind of is. 

 

Josie Totah: Although she is the antithesis of that character because she is such a progressive queen, but she’s a good white. Alycia and I have this thing where we identify good whites and she is a good white. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Why are you telling the public our tea?

 

Josie Totah: Well, because it’s just the truth. But. But um I, you know what’s funny–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: No. But I do love Sandra in person. Like as a, as an individual. I love her.

 

Josie Totah: When I was a junior, we had to write letters to ourself and my religion class and the first, for 30 years from now. And I was like, let me think logically. So I was like, okay, you’ve had three husbands. Um. [laughter] You’ve been charged with fraud. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I can see it. 

 

Josie Totah: But you won the case. But you won. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah you won the case. 

 

Josie Totah: Your kids are like–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Wow. She made it out. 

 

Josie Totah: –They’re the next like um Mary Kate and Ashley, um like Paris Hilton-esque but with less opioids. Um. And yeah, I had written that. My religion teacher came up to me and he was like, this is really strange, but like, [laughter] I kind of believe it. He believed it. And he was like, normally I would tell someone to redo it, but like, this feels right for you. Um. And this is–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: He believed in you. 

 

Josie Totah: –like before I transistioned.

 

Yasmine Hamady: Well Josie. We’ve talked– 

 

Josie Totah: Which is even weirder. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: We’ve talked about like you as a mom one day, like your kids are going to be going to like soccer practice or like, honestly, theater camp while you’re like picking them up in the nicest Range Rover or Tesla. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: You’re going to be the coolest mom ever. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: You’re going to be the coolest mom ev– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Also– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –Well, you’re also you’re going to be the coolest, both of you guys, you’re going be– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –The best aunts to my kids– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Oh of course. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –Ever! 

 

Josie Totah: Your kids are going to be fucking menaces Yasmine. You are going to have– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Why’d you say that? 

 

Josie Totah: Menaces. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And you’re going to empower them to be insane. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Why do you say that? 

 

Josie Totah: No, no. But actually they say it skips a gene– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: You’re going to be like creative expression and then– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: No my kids are going to write with like God knows what, like dirt on the walls and be like, I’m watching you. And I’ll be like, that’s art. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: They do say–

 

Yasmine Hamady: Like, you know how like Kim and Kanye will say, like North West’s like– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Stop. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –Fucking devil drawings. And they’re like, our kid is so talented. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: No. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: And I’m just like– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Josie and I have had so many conversations about how we will, like, be helping with each other’s, like, kids and yeah, how we’re just going to be like polar opposite moms. But it’s going to be good because our kids will need–

 

Josie Totah: Although–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Like the opposite in a good– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Well, we’ve practically talked about– 

 

Josie Totah: –Something– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña:  Co-parenting. Not in a relationship. 

 

Josie Totah: Yeah. Which we could do. Our children would hate their lives. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: But something that I– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: –Worry about, too, it’s because I see so many people with the craziest fucking parents and they’re normal. And then I see such nice normal parents with the craziest kids. And it concerns me when I do nice things because I’m like, fuck, like maybe I shouldn’t be this nice because my kid is probably– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Not you gaslighting yourself– 

 

Josie Totah: Then it’d be the opposite. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –To be a mean person. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Josie. 

 

Josie Totah: But do you know what I mean. [banter]

 

Yasmine Hamady: Actually you should– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Not let you do this. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yes, no, I agree. You should honestly be mean–

 

Josie Totah: It worries me when I when I– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –For the rest of your life. Yeah, you should– 

 

Josie Totah: Right. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: You should be mean. 

 

Josie Totah: So I could raise just like the most iconic children. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Right. Exactly Josie. I think you and I, from now, we should just be absolute bitches to everyone we know, we– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Wait. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –don’t talk to anyone. And so we’re– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Wait, um. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –Investing in ourselves in the future so then our kids are actually iconic individuals. But we’re the we’re the fucked up people. Do you know what I mean? 

 

Josie Totah: Speaking of investing into our future, one thing that we can do to ensure that our future is going to be a good one where we’re safe and not literally losing our rights like my grandmother’s losing hair, is by voting. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Josie Totah. [said quietly]

 

Yasmine Hamady: That segue. 

 

Josie Totah: So–

 

Yasmine Hamady: Everyone, a round of applause for that segue. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yay! 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Round of applause for that segue. Everyone just seemed like–

 

Josie Totah: Today– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –The audio engineers and like–

 

Josie Totah: Wait. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –the camera ops are like, yeah, Josie. Amazing work. 

 

Josie Totah: So we’re–

 

Yasmine Hamady: You’re so right about– 

 

Josie Totah: We’re talking about– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –That. 

 

Josie Totah: We’re talking about voting today. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. Okay. So today we are tackling the spookiest topic, the scariest topic this is this keeps me up at night and makes me shiver, there sends shivers down my spine. It’s what the midterms. We hear so much shit from our peers like, well, I live in California, so my vote doesn’t matter. Or, like, I hate both candidates, so, like, I don’t know who to vote for. Maybe I just shouldn’t vote. Well, that’s like not okay a.) and b.) I know this can be really disheartening and really exhausting. I understand that. So we’re going to quell your fears and get into some big questions–

 

Josie Totah: So we’re going to eat quail, live on camera. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: So we’re going to eat quail live on camera, raw, real visceral. And we’re gonna–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Be real. 

 

Josie Totah: We just took out the box. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: We’re going to be real and we’re going to discuss things. We’re going to discuss the hoaxes, the the facts, the truths about voting and organizing. Plus, we’ll share our top ten hottest ways to vote and be civically engaged. Stay tuned. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Hi, guys. Don’t forget to follow us at @DareWeSay on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube.com/darewesay. 

 

[AD BREAK] 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: All righty, guys. It is October. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: It’s October. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Which feels insane. We’ve gone through so much of this year. So that means that it is spooky season and the midterms are right around the corner. [audible shudder sound] They are approaching. Yeah, so I’m not going to lie. The shit is getting crazy and really scary. 

 

Josie Totah: Oh, my God. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I know, right? Crazy. [laughter]

 

Josie Totah: Wait, wait no, wait. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Wow. 

 

Josie Totah: Wait, wait. Wait, it’s October. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Is she an actress? 

 

Josie Totah: [fake cry] No I’m not.

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Is she an actress? 

 

Josie Totah: I’m not kidding. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Wow. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Start crying. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Cry. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Start crying. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Cry. Cry.

 

[spoken together by Alycia and Yasmine] Cry, cry, cry. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Cry. 

 

Josie Totah: Oh my– [sobbing sounds]

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I see the tears. 

 

Josie Totah: Wait I’m not kidding. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: [indistinct] the tears. 

 

Josie Totah: I am not kidding.

 

Yasmine Hamady: No we’re not starting a conversation until there’s a tear coming out of her fucking–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Wait. 

 

Josie Totah: Alycia. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –eye ball. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I’m actually worried– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Josie it’s almost there.

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –about her mental health. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: It’s almost there. Push, push, push. 

 

Josie Totah: Wait wait wait. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: You’re almost there. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And she got the call back. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yes and she got the call back. [shrieking] 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yay! [cheering and clapping]

 

Josie Totah: Wait you guys–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: That was–

 

Josie Totah: Actually– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –beautiful. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Amazing work.

 

Josie Totah: I’m so shook by the fact that it’s October. Like I promise that I’m okay. But it’s October. And I. I just always forget about October as a month. And to think– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Wow. 

 

Josie Totah: –that this is happening.

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Okay. We have all we need to see. You got the call back. You got the call back. Now I’m actually worried for your mental health. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: If it helps– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: That’s all I’m saying, Alycia. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Okay. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Josie. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Wait. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: We’ll check in. We’ll check in. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: We’ll check in. 

 

Josie Totah: Okay. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: We love you– 

 

Josie Totah: Sorry. We’ll we’ll–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And mental health check. We’ll see. We’re going to see you in December. We’re going to see you in December. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Everyone give a round of applause for Josie’s tear. She got the part. [clapping hands] Incredible work. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And we also love her dearly. And we’ll have a conversation after. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah, exactly. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: As we see kids. October is a brazy ass time for us and there is so much at stake right now. So much to lose. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: So much– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: So much to gain.

 

Yasmine Hamady: –beef. So much steak. So much veal. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: So much quail. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: All of it and our greatest weapon against some of these scary things, especially politically to combat a potential red wave, is organizing and voting. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yup. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And with so many voter suppression laws recently passed and an insane amount of disinformation online, we wanted to kick off the final stretch of election with answering some of the most frequently asked questions about voting and getting involved as young people and the importance of that. And before we jump into all of this, I wanted to share a quick little experience that I unfortunately had in 2020, because voter suppression is real and voter intimidation is real. Um. It’s not some mythical issue happening– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Mm mm. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –In some faraway land. It affects people on a daily basis. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And I think that we don’t hear voter suppression stories enough. Um.

 

Yasmine Hamady: And that’s on purpose, because they don’t want– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –These stories to come out, because they want to act like this is a fair, this is a real democracy when quite frankly, no, it’s not. Alycia?

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. So um as you guys know, in 2020 was my first time voting in a presidential election. And because I’m a nerd, I was way too hyped. I was super excited. I wore like a little um– [laughing]  

 

Yasmine Hamady: I can imagine you were like the voting and you were like– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Just like– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: I voted, sticker. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I I came in, my [?] like. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah you did.

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I came in, my like off color shirt like um it said, like, no justice, no peace. I had my bun, my hoops, and I was just way too freaking excited. And I went with my mom and my dad. Um. But very long story short, I got up to the booth and an elderly white woman was like, do you have your ID? And I said, Yes, I do. And I gave her my I.D. and it was my permit at the time um because I didn’t have a driver’s license. And she goes, Are you sure you’re from this area and this is the center that you’re supposed to be voting at?

 

Yasmine Hamady: Which area was it? 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Um. I was in Westchester County, which, if you know anything about like the demographic of Westchester County, it’s one of the richest counties in the country. Um. So it’s– 

 

Josie Totah: –Very white. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –Pretty affluent and white. Um. So I didn’t you know, I’m not up in arms about that. I’m like, okay, she’s doing her due diligence. It’s a regular question. I said, Yeah, um I’m 100% sure this is the place that I’m supposed to be voting. And she goes, are you sure that you know that? And I was like. All right? Yeah. Yeah, I am. She goes, Do you live in this area? And I go, Yes, I do. And she goes, You don’t live anywhere else. Are you sure that um you are actually registered to vote. And I was like, I promise you, I know I am registered to vote. Um. And then she goes, where were you born? 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Hmm. That question. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And I was like, I was born in New York. And it starts to get dark. And I have people next to me with three other um poll workers registering people in so that they can vote and multiple series of people start to go. And I’m stuck with this elderly white woman. And it becomes such a problem that both of my parents walk up and she’s like, do you have any form of any other form of identification? And I was like trying to be as gracious and eloquent as possible to diffuse the situation, which I shouldn’t have had to do. And I was like, listen, I was born in New York. I went to Harrison High School. I can prove to you that I went to Harrison High School and my heart just dropped. I was so uncomfortable. And I just thought in the moment, not only how I was made to feel othered and ostracized in this moment as the only Black woman in this entire poll center at the time. But how these are the moments that turn people away from voting. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Mmmm. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And have being an active member in their society and democracy. And I understand on a daily basis why it can be hard for people to vote, but this is why we should be going out to the polls and making our voice heard. Um. And unfortunately, with that interaction with that white woman, it didn’t end there. She continuously was asking me questions, questions that nobody else in the room was being asked. And I was so taken aback and so dumbfounded. Dumbfounded, like I had no words. And if you know anything about me, it’s hard to get me silent. Like, your girl likes to talk. And I was just like. I was shocked because I was facing, like, voter suppression in real time. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And I was like, are you shitting me? Like, this is stuff that I have advocated against. This is stuff that I’m always talking about. And it’s happening to me right now. And I was. I felt like a little girl again. And I felt like I shouldn’t have been speaking out. And I felt like maybe I did do something that was disrespectful. And my mom filed a complaint with the center because of how awful of a moment it was– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: After we had gone home. She drove back and filed a complaint and said that that woman was neglectful and discriminatory and that’s how big of a deal this was. And I didn’t talk to anyone about it except you guys, because I was so embarrassed as if I did something. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Which you didn’t. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Which I didn’t. 

 

Josie Totah: You didn’t do anything at all. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Thank you. 

 

Josie Totah: No, that is an awful situation and you had no fault in that. And the only person who should have responsibility for any of that is that woman who was clearly racist. And also the system that we live in that is built on these ideals that allow people and empower people like that woman to make it difficult for you as a Black woman to vote and participate in an election fairly and is a perfect example of how this is a real problem, and, as I said, an epidemic that faces our political system. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: So I think let’s just let’s just get this out of the way. What is voter suppression? We we talk about voter suppression. We see it on the news. We see it on TikTok, Daily Mail, yadda, yadda, yadda. But I think people forget or at least don’t know what voter suppression actually is. And different laws that are being passed to make voting harder for people in America, specifically different disenfranchized communities. So ladies.

 

Josie Totah: Yeah, well, I think it’s important to first start out by talking about the fact that US voter turnout rates are especially low um relative to other democracies and that this is even more true during midterm elections. I feel like I noticed that in my personal life, in my friend group, like when we’re talking about voting, it’s usually talking about general elections and not midterm elections. And the U.S. voter turnout um usually hovers around 60%, but reached 66% in 2020. And we know that older groups are typically the most consistent voters. We’re talking about your old Republican grandpa who knows the exact date that he needs to get his ballot in. And he– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yup. 

 

Josie Totah: –You know spends all day watching Fox News and he knows exactly what his intentions are and what he wants to do while young people like us have historically lower turnout. And you know that could be due to just people being jaded by the state of the world and not having enough information, voter suppression. Um. And the wealthier, and the more educated you are, the more likely you are to vote. White voters have historically had higher voter turnout rates and Black voter turnout rates are typically second highest. And um they’re actually like roughly even, I believe, in 2008 and 2012. And Hispanic and Asian American voter turnout are significantly lower. So I just think it’s important to see the relationship that people have to voting, especially when it comes to an election like this, is not an incredibly good one, at least for nonwhite young people. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: For sure. And I think it’s also important to note that across the nation there are actual laws and systems being perpetuated that oppress people and keep them from actually going out to the polls and creating tangible change. Like in 2020 alone, according to the Election Law Journal, it is most difficult to vote in New Hampshire and Mississippi, Arkansas, Wisconsin and Texas because of specific laws put in place um that keep people from voting. Um. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And I also think that it’s important to note that this isn’t new. Right. In the past, when we saw that African-Americans were first allotted the right to vote, it was literacy test right? 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yup. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And poll taxes. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: You have to prove. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And prove that you were intellectual enough to vote and that kept Black people from voting. And unfortunately, that is still going on in a lot of ways. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Right. Which and things that we’ll get into later in regards to like ID and long lines and waits and not enough polling centers or rejecting absentee ballots. Which we’ll get into [?].

 

Yasmine Hamady: And you have to take the day off work and you might not get paid during that day. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: So you have to you have to think about, do I get a day’s worth of pay to feed my family or do I vote? 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: And so we talk about that. And I think in also like 2021 was an unprecedented year for new voting laws. At least 24 new states have passed laws restricting voting, according to FiveThirtyEight analysis. Florida, Georgia, Iowa and Texas were particularly particularly egregious examples of new anti voter laws. So I know and like in Texas eliminated curbside and overnight voting. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Eliminated drop boxes, created new confusing and poorly implemented requirements to vote. And so in the primary, absentee ballot rejection rates were as high as 30% in Texas, the most populous counties, compared to less than 1% the, in previous elections. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: So that’s not an accident. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: No. And then we see in Georgia that there are new ID requirements for absentee voting. A new deadline for requesting an absentee ballot and is now illegal to provide food or water to voters– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Jesus Christ. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –Who are waiting in a long line. In Iowa they dramatically shortened the amount of time for early voting and moved the deadline up to request an absentee ballot. Those are just a few examples of the ways that people are being oppressed in states around the country. 

 

Josie Totah: So the fact that you literally can’t even bring someone who’s in line to vote food or water, and we know that historically these lines are incredibly long and could be hours long is just an insane thing to do. Like, what’s what is illegal about bringing someone a glass of water or a bottle of water while they’re in line to vote? Like that is literally–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: That is just inhumane.

 

Yasmine Hamady: No, it’s– 

 

Josie Totah: –insane. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: It’s and that and once again, this is not on purpose. And it’s I I constantly think of is it the right? Is it the left? But it’s like, why do Republicans want to oppress and suppress the vote so badly? It’s because they’re afraid of power. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Because they know– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: They’re afraid of of marginalized communities and they’re afraid of people taking back their power and speaking their voices. They’re afraid of losing. 

 

Josie Totah: We know that they know that their beliefs aren’t popular with the majority of Americans. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yes. 

 

Josie Totah: And polls literally show that, that’s just a fact. And if everyone voted, they’d lose. And in other words, they’re afraid of our power. Of our power. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: They are. 

 

Josie Totah: And I mean they’re afraid of our– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Our power. 

 

Josie Totah: In other words. And now that. No, but they’re literally afraid. They’re pussies and they’re afraid of our power. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah, they’re actually no–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And also like with moving up the day it’s like infuriates me because they don’t want people to have access to the information that– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Correct. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –They need to vote. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yep. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Because we would be turning chairs. We would be turning the colors of states. Like if it lacks our ability to actually have a voice. Like, like I know, like my everyday friend doesn’t know the date that they need to enter in information. They on purpose make information complicated and make this a nuanced, gruesome process. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Mm hmm. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Because they know the more that we get out to the polls, the more that things are going to change. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yep. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Like we are the most progressive, the most diverse generation that this country has ever seen. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Ever. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: So they know that the more that we step into those booths, the more that things are radically changing and– 

 

Josie Totah: It’s giving Nicki. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –you’ve you’ve had, it is giving Nicki. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: It’s giving Nicki. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: To freedom! [shouting] 

 

Yasmine Hamady: To–But I also– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Sorry. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –but I want to touch on that, Alycia, because I think it’s important to bring up I hear a lot of people and this is some people I’ve even heard– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Also sorry. I just I. Sorry. I just became like a little uh what is that called? Um. Like uh the volunteer in me wanted you to know, like there are over 20 states that have same day registration, so don’t let that scare you kids. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: And we’re going to, at the end of the episode, we’re going to provide resources and links– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –To figure out where the nearest polling booths are, yadda, yadda, yadda. So you have access and information. So I want to bring up how the people in power want to make things overcomplicated. They want to confuse you. They want to make things harder for you to vote. And inherently, it’s oppressive, it’s racist– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: And it’s unacceptable. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah know, voter suppression specifically affects Black people, working class, minorities, disenfranchised people the most like those groups. Disenfranchising minority groups like the working class Black people. People of a lower socioeconomic status consistently face long lines to vote, higher absentee ballot rejection rates, and face greater turnout drops after polling place consolidations likely due to a lack of affordable transportation options. And then when it comes to voter ID, we know that voters of color are less likely to have necessary identification. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Mm hmm. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And some studies have suggested that voter ID laws cause higher drops in voter turnout among voters of color than amongst white voters, which is no surprise. Like, I don’t think people understand how difficult it is when you are living in a city like the Bronx, like Detroit, like a city, quote unquote, that is “urban”. Right? And to have to hop on a train, have to hop on public transportation, get an ID, like like most of my family members did not get their licenses till later in life. Right? Like my Tia [?], shout out to her, she’s amazing, got her license at 32. So now you’re telling me if she does not have a driver’s license, even though she is a U.S. citizen. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yup. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Her children are [?]– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: U.S. citizens. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Are U.S. citizens were born here. She pays taxes. She is not able to vote because she doesn’t have a driver’s license. Even though if she shows up with another form of identification, they do this on purpose because they know these places, these statues in place are going to affect people that do not think, like most of the people in power. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Completely. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Whether it’s the right, whether it’s– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –People who are affluent. 

 

Josie Totah: One thing that really grinds my years is when I hear friends say that they live in a blue state. And like, does their vote even matter? And to that, yeah, fuck yeah Carrie Ann Inaba, your vote absolutely matters. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Not Carrie Ann Inaba– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: That is a real ass person. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –From dancing with the stars. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: We can use her, cool.

 

Josie Totah: Listen. Your vote does matter. For one thing, not all Democrats are obviously going to be an amazing option. And and they’re not all wonderful people, just like how not all people are wonderful people. So you have to vote for the candidate that best represents your values. Local races, they often fall under the radar. So even in blue places, you might not have the policies that reflect your values. Um. Oh an example that our producer brought up was that um in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, it’s the only county in New England that has opted into a partnership in data sharing with ICE and the sheriff’s election this year may change that. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I think it’s also important to note that, like, we can’t get too comfortable as constituents. Like these people work for us. It’s really easy for us as young people, us as a generation in general, just as Americans right now. It’s easy for us to get really comfortable and go, oh, well, we have the seats that we need, or this state is blue. But honey, if that last presidential election before the one that we just had with Trump showed you anything is that you need to show up and show out because a lot of people wrongly thought that the election was going to go their way. Right? A lot of people got way too comfortable and was and were like, oh, like a fascist like Trump is never going to get elected. And then that didn’t happen because people didn’t show up and people weren’t active. And Angela Davis says it best. Local elections have global ramifications. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: A hundred– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Especially– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Say it again. I need you to say that again. Like that sentence. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Angela Davis says local elections have global ramifications like–. 

 

Josie Totah: That is true. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: So many activists and so many philosophers say like, you may not do politics, but baby politics will do you honey. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Mm hmm. 

 

Josie Totah: Oh. Oh my god I love that.

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: So you might as well. Yeah so you– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah wait–

 

Josie Totah: And and it– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –like you might. 

 

Josie Totah: –won’t feel good. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: [laugh] No, honey. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: And it is you’re not going to, you’re not going to leave happy. I’ll, trust–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: You will not finish first, but– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: You will not you no–

 

Josie Totah: No you’ll leave–

 

Yasmine Hamady: you no they don’t care–

 

Josie Totah: –you’ll leave chafed and dry. And also–

 

Yasmine Hamady: You might be bleeding. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Probably with a UTI honestly.

 

Yasmine Hamady: With a UTI and the cranberry juice will be sold out at Walgreens. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: And the medication. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And your gyno won’t be able to see you for three weeks. 

 

Josie Totah: No, they won’t and uh well– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: So it’s gonna suck. 

 

Josie Totah: –for for three months. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: So you might as well do politics, babe, and do some due diligence and care. 

 

Josie Totah: The issues in local elections though, it’s important to mention that it’s not always going to fall in traditional like Democrat Republican lines. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: And in in California, for example. Like I mean, let’s talk about the housing policy, which has been an ongoing– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: –Local and state issue for like a very long time. And we see it every day living in Los Angeles. Um. And recently, the state passed new laws enabling duplexes and making it easier to transform commercial properties into housing um in an effort to address the state’s affordable housing crisis, which I think is an incredibly large point to bring up, especially living in a big city like L.A., where the um housing crisis is such a big thing. We’re seeing– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: –So many people, you know–. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: –Take to the street. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. And it’s I feel like going back to your point, Josie, of like, oh, I hate both candidates, who do I vote for? I think when going about voting and deciding where do you stand. I really implore you to think about how human rights are should not be politicized. Having a roof over your head should not be a Republican or Democrat thing. That should be a human thing. Having the right to choose what you want to do with your body. That is not a Republican thing and that is not a Democrat thing. Having health care, that is not a Republican or a Democrat thing. So I really think when you are voting, think about human rights at the fore– and ar– And when I think of human rights, I also think our environment at the forefront of whatever decision you decide to vote. And also, I think there’s some questions that we get into. Like, Oh, I just moved. How do I reregister to vote? Why is it important to vote? I’m busy. It takes time. 

 

Josie Totah: It really doesn’t take a lot of time. And honestly, you could do it with a friend group like I remember in the 2020 election when I voted for the first time, I did it with my best friends. I don’t remember who I was, I think was I with you Yasmine? Or Noel or Ally like, I think with Noel and Ally. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: I think you were. Because we did it– 

 

Josie Totah: And we’re– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: –We did it together at the house. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Oh, yeah. I feel like–

 

Josie Totah: Yeah. We all went to a park. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: We all did it together. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: We all got in to– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: –A car and drove around North Hollywood and like, I don’t know, it’s fun and it’s literally so easy. Um. And there’s also so many different options and ways to vote that is convenient for you. Obviously, depending on where you live, you may be able to request your ballot by mail, which is what I do when I fill it out at home or try to stop my mom from filling it out for me. I’m just kidding. Um. And. [laughter] Now my mom gets arrested for voter fraud, no I promise. She never– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Please. 

 

Josie Totah: She never does that. Um. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: They can’t. 

 

Josie Totah: But even though she definitely loves to tell me what her opinions are, I’m like mother of my own human. Um. But in most states, early voting is also a great option, especially if you’re incredibly busy. Um. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: And yeah I’d say we just recommend to go to vote before election day when lines are typically shorter and just to get it out of the way. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: And it is worth the time because the time that you put in the, you know, 20 minutes, the 30 minutes, the however long it takes that you put in to literally vote is timeless in its impact and in the product that you are going to see, especially when it comes to midterm elections in your day to day life. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. Yeah. Like. I couldn’t agree more. Like I take it so seriously, the fact that people have died and fought for my right– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Mm hmm. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –To vote in this country. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yup. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And I don’t want to squander that. And I empathize with people that are like, well, the system’s broken. It’s corrupt. I empathize with you, but it’s like, baby, might as well do something rather than nothing. Like your tax dollars go to these people. The things that they advocate for are going to affect you. Locally they’re extremely important, especially this midterms, are you kidding me? There’s 36 governors up. There’s chief uh state official seats um up for grabs. There are so many things right now on the ballot that will affect you. The way that your state’s position on abortion, climate crisis, um– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Education. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –Inflation, Education–

 

Yasmine Hamady: LGBTQ rights. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: All of those things are affected by the state representatives that you decide to either step in a booth and vote for this midterms or decide to not have a place in your government because it’s going to affect you regardless. Like, I don’t think that people understand how important midterms are. Because also who you voted to put as a president, their job only gets harder or easier advocating for the things that you care about and the things that you’re passionate about. Based on who you decide to represent you on a state level, they represent you. It’s literally in the name of what– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: –They do, honey. They’re representatives. Yeah. So if you want them to do that, you might as well go in the booth and to make your lives easier we wanted to provide some information, because I get it. It can be cumbersome and annoying to vote, but I promise you it’s better to do so. There are literally resources online that will allow you to fill out a pre ballot. So when you walk in you already know who you want to vote for, the props that you care about. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: For all information you’ll ever need in regards to voting. Go to VoteSaveAmerica.com/volunteer. We’ll be right back. [music break] So there’s nothing hotter, there’s nothing more sexy, nothing more attractive than a person who’s civically engaged. So the girls and I did a little something for you. We did our due diligence, and we made a list of the top ten ways to be civically engaged and aggressively hot. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Number one, make a plan because knowledge is power, but knowledge is also sexy. So stay informed and knowledgeable about your federal, state, and most importantly, local elections. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Number two, text bank. Instead of drunk texting your ex drunk text a total stranger. You wake up with no regrets the next morning, I would know. 

 

Josie Totah: Number three, persuade. Top, no. Bottom, no. Switch, yes. Especially when you’re switching from red to blue. It’s never too late to convince a conservative to vote Dem or to be dommed. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah, [laughing] that was so good. Number four. Relational organizing. Get all your friends together and have an orgy of facts. A truth orgy. Woo! 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Number five, call your congressperson. Are you looking for a new kink? Do you know that you can call your congressperson and tell them your wants and needs, and just maybe they’ll ask for more. Oooh. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Oh. Number six, donate. Receiving is great, but nothing is quite sexier than a giver. 

 

Josie Totah: Number seven, door knock. If you’re craving belittlement from a stranger and the satisfaction of a job well done, door knock. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Number eight, spread the word. Post a thirst trap and then direct people to VoteSaveAmerica.com and give the people what they want. 

 

Josie Totah: Number nine, self-care. Pleasure yourself. This is a stressful month. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: And lastly, number ten, vote. You owe it to everyone who’s ever fought for your right to vote to do it so get out there and fucking vote. Plus, nothing is sexier when someone walks in with a I voted sticker. [slapping hand on hard surface] Take me out. 

 

Josie Totah: Why fuck people when you can just fuck the system? 

 

Yasmine Hamady: [sigh] So all in all, those are the top ten ways to stay civically engaged and aggressively hot. [kiss sound] See you at the polls. [music break] 

 

Josie Totah: Ugh, guys that was our show. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: I’m excited to get to the polls. I’ll be working those polls day in, day out, especially in Orange County. Katie Porter, I love you. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Oh, my gosh. She’s amazing. 

 

Josie Totah: The political poll is so underrated uh and it is something that I want to ride all night long. You know, get off the pole and– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: –go to the polls. Is is what my mother always told me as a young child. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I bet she did.

 

Josie Totah: And– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Is that what she said? 

 

Josie Totah: –It changed who I am today. But honestly, I think we covered a lot of ground. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: I think we did. I’m proud of us. I hope that people feel galvanized to go out and vote. I’m excited to. For these midterms. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Um. Want to go together? 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Tea. We can make it a date. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: We’ll make it a date. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Make it a date with your friends. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Make it a date with your friends. Or honestly, if there’s a really cutie, there’s a cutie that you want to text, then then say go to the the I’m I– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Are you okay? 

 

Yasmine Hamady: I’m glitching.

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: You’re malfunctioning. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: I’m glitching but you can even–

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: But I think I think I ride your wave. Like. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: You ride my wave.

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: In– Invite them on a date. 

 

Josie Totah: Yeah you can go on a date. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Invite them on a–

 

Josie Totah: With someone you think is cute. You know, you guys can like– 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. 

 

Josie Totah: –Get a COVID test in the morning and then go to the voting polls and then go to a retirement center. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Yeah. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: It’s giving 2022. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: And then volunteer. It’s giving 2022. And I just want to say, like we can post on the Instagram, but like if you have a dating profile or anything and there’s like you can have you can drop links, you can have any of those like prompts. All of mine says VoteSaveAmerica.com/vote on each one. And I swear to God, I’ve gotten so many swipe rights. And those are the people you want to surround yourself with, people who actually give a shit about the world. So anyway– 

 

Josie Totah: So with that– 

 

Yasmine Hamady: I feel like all in all. [laugh] With that, we say adieu. Go out there, vote. Do your due diligence. It’s your human right. And if you don’t vote, I don’t want to hear a fucking peep out of your mouth after this. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Yeah. Don’t complain about shit you ain’t willing to change. 

 

Josie Totah: The name of the father and the son. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Amen. 

 

Josie Totah: Vote. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: Vote. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Amen. Vote! Woo! 

 

Josie Totah: Dare We Say is a Crooked Media production. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: Caroline Reston is our showrunner, producer and mommy. And Ari Schwartz is our producer and show daddy. Fiona Pestana is our associate producer and Sandy Girard is the Almighty Executive Producer. 

 

Josie Totah: It’s hosted and produced by me, Josie Totah. 

 

Yasmine Hamady: And me, Yasmine Hamady. 

 

Alycia Pascual-Peña: And me, Alycia Pascual-Peña. Vasilis Fotopoulos and Charlotte Landes, they are both our engineers. Brian Vasquez is our editor and theme music composer. Our video producers are Matt DeGroot, Narineh Melkonian and Delon Villanueva and Mia Kellman. 

 

Josie Totah: Lastly, thank you to Jordan Silver, Gabriela Leverette, Jesse McLean, Caroline Heywood, Shaina Hortsmann, Deisi Cruz, Danielle Jensen and Ewa Okulate for marketing the show and making us look so damn good.