Special Episode: Vote With Your Phone ft. Ramon Perez

Lawson and Don are on summer break but the tea is still hot. ☕

What if you could vote on legislation from your couch, with a cup of coffee, on the same phone you use for everything else? Ramon Perez, Executive Director of the Digital Democracy Project, joins Lawson and Don to talk about why that future is closer than you think and why the people in power are doing everything they can to stop it.

Ramon is a veteran who commissioned after 9/11, a machine learning and AI executive, and the founder of a nonpartisan nonprofit that is giving everyday people a real say in the laws that govern them. He has been thrown out of the offices of both Republicans and Democrats alike. He keeps showing up anyway.

This conversation covers mobile voting, gerrymandering, why 94% of US House districts had no real competition in 2024, why your legislators are spending 70 to 80% of their time fundraising instead of reading bills, and why Estonia has been voting online for 14 years while the United States is still arguing about paper ballots.

Don plays devil's advocate as a very comfortable incumbent who absolutely does not want more people involved in democracy. Ramon has heard it all before. In real life. Off the record. In actual legislative offices.

We also get into voter suppression in Texas, the cost of running elections in Bexar County, why your social media algorithm is not a substitute for civic education, and why Lawson might just have to run for office again.

We miss Lawson and Don. They will be back for Season 2 shortly. 🤠

Stay cool out there, Texans. ☕

Connect with Ramon Perez and the Digital Democracy Project
🔗 digitaldemocracyproject.org
📸 Instagram: @digital_democracy_project
💼 LinkedIn: Digital Democracy Project and Ramon Perez

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Digital Democracy
04:18 The Evolution of Mobile Voting Technology
09:57 Civic Engagement and Voter Education
15:29 Challenges and Opportunities in Voting Accessibility
20:47 Challenges of Traditional Voting Systems
23:50 The Case for Mobile Voting
25:35 Empowering Voters Through Technology
27:09 Ad Break
27:52 Devil's Advocate
30:07 The Political Landscape and Voter Suppression
33:45 Reforming the Democratic Process
38:19 Bipartisan Support for Digital Democracy
43:39 Conclusion and Future of Voter Engagement

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Real talk. Texas brewed. ☕