October 8, 2024 Newsletter
Dear friends,
This week’s newsletter explores the impacts of the Electoral College on our national elections, shares information on an upcoming listening session with the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus, and reflects on select community engagements from this past week. Thank you for reading this newsletter and for staying informed.
The Impacts of the Electoral College on our National Elections
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been having many conversations with friends and constituents about the upcoming Presidential election and the role of the Electoral College. The United States is unique among Western democracies for its use of the Electoral College rather than the popular vote. In the past few election cycles, we have seen the impacts that this system has on determining the President: in the 2000 election, Al Gore received nearly half a million more votes than George W. Bush and still lost the election because of the Electoral College; in the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton and our own Senator Tim Kaine received 3 million more votes than Trump and Pence but lost the election because of the skewed power of the Electoral College. It is time to make changes; a handful of states should not be able to override the will of the majority of American voters.
In a nation in which women and minority citizens have had to fight for every inch of voting rights, the Electoral College remains a vestigial part of a racial history that continues to seek to disenfranchise the voting power of certain communities. Along with barriers such as poll taxes, voter-ID laws, and targeted violence designed to intimidate Black voters, the Electoral College was established to give slave-owning Southern states power and leverage, using the three-fifths compromise.
This year’s presidential election will rest on the electoral college victories of states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona, and Nevada. To reach the 270 votes needed for an Electoral College victory, the Harris-Walz team is fighting hard for success in these states because, in all likelihood, these states’ voters will determine the next President. Despite the fact that Harris-Walz will almost surely win the popular vote (Trump lost the popular vote by significant margins in both of his previous election efforts), the concern for this November’s outcomes rests with the Electoral College.
Each ballot cast should have equal weight and value. However, because of the Electoral College system that continues to live past its relevance, some voters in this country have a disproportionate influence on the outcomes of presidential elections. The most significant example we can point to is the 2016 election in which a candidate lost the popular vote by 3 million votes, still ended up as President, and served a disastrous four years in office.
VAAPIC Virtual Listening Session
On Tuesday, October 15, members of the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus will host a community listening session via video conference to hear directly from constituents from across the Commonwealth. As we develop our legislative agendas and Caucus priorities for the 2025 legislative session, hearing directly from the communities we serve is important to each of us. Interested participants can register to join us.
Select Community Engagements
On Monday evening, I was delighted to be part of the Metro Richmond Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) chapter dinner, highlighting our efforts to advance policy in many areas of justice. Delegate Betsy Carr and I were recognized for our “Faith in Housing” legislation from the 2024 session designed to empower faith communities to assist individuals in need of affordable housing. I look forward to continuing to work with VICPP to address affordable housing, criminal justice reform, health equity, and much more.
On Tuesday, my Chief of Staff joined members of AIA Virginia to share best practices on advocating at the General Assembly. Participants were particularly interested in learning more about legislative deadlines, bill limits, and Committee procedures. By offering these training sessions, the goal of my office is to make state government more accessible and strengthen public understanding of government processes, both in and out of the legislative session. Any community organization or group is able to request an advocacy training, in English or Spanish, from my office by emailing us: senatorhashmi@senate.virginia.gov.
On Tuesday evening, I was pleased to join the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners (VCNP) to meet members from across Central Virginia and share our work in the General Assembly to increase access to care for Virginians. In November, I will be joining VCNP at its Pharmacology Symposium to provide a keynote address from my perspectives as Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee.
After my visit with VCNP members, I joined community members from the Swansboro West Civic Association for its National Night Out celebration. This annual celebration brings together neighborhood partnerships with police departments and first responders to foster collaboration and to bring communities closer together. In conversations with community members, I was impressed by the Association’s efforts to revitalize the neighborhood through the planting of trees, the proposed development of a park, and the intentional efforts to build community within the neighborhood.
On Thursday morning, I attended a portion of the Virginia Tribal Education Consortium (VTEC) Conference. The focus was on the importance of reclaiming the history, voice, and presence of Virginia’s Indigenous Peoples. Keynote speakers highlighted the grim racial history of the Virginia Racial Integrity Act 1924 and the refusal of states to acknowledge voting rights following the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act 1924. These laws had a significant legal, social, cultural, and educational impact on Native American communities in Virginia. VTEC’s work is crucial to sharing an accurate history that has been intentionally erased for too long.
Shortly after the VTEC Conference, I joined Bruce Slough, Executive Director of Saint Francis - Manchester, an assisted living community, to tour its facilities and operation. This mission of Saint Francis - Manchester is to serve our aging citizens, especially those needing extra support. I appreciated the quality of care and service shown by support staff in both medical and personal care.
Last Friday, I was honored to join the Psychiatric Society of Virginia and receive the Society’s 2024 Legislator of the Year Award. The increased needs for psychiatric and mental health care are evident in multiple contexts. My colleagues and I in the General Assembly remain focused on developing solutions to respond to the shortages in the healthcare workforce, pediatric mental health treatment, psychiatric bed shortages, and much more.
I began Saturday by traveling to Fork Union for the annual Justice Jamboree Crabfest fundraiser hosted by Lefty Lunch Ladies, the Fluvanna County Democratic Committee, and the Fluvanna Leaders for Race and Diversity. I had a great time talking to old and new friends as I shared the stakes in this November’s elections. We were joined by special guests and Gold Star parents Khizr and Ghazala Khan. Mr. Khan is the recipient of the 2022 Medal of Freedom, presented by President Joe Biden.
On Saturday evening, I attended the Equality Virginia Commonwealth Dinner, a gala celebrating ten years of marriage equality in Virginia. The evening provided a wonderful opportunity to highlight and thank the individuals who fought for marriage equality and those who continue to champion the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
On Sunday, I was honored to join the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha mandir located in my district to celebrate the 91st Birthday of the spiritual leader, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj. The temple’s community members’ emphasis on volunteer work, community building, support for the elderly, and mentoring of the young are evident throughout all of their efforts.
Connecting With My Office
My office can be reached at the following:
Email: SenatorHashmi@senate.virginia.gov
Phone: 804.698.7515
If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up to receive my office’s weekly newsletter here.
— Ghazala
