Voice of Democracy: Navigating Voting Rights in the Modern Era

Join us for a panel discussion about voting rights, and get practical answers to common voter questions such as voter registration, changing voter ID laws, election disinformation, voter poll purging, and ballot technology and security.

Refreshments will be served. Attend online or in-person. Questions? Call (216) 623-2921.

Wednesday, May 1, 2024 I 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
5906 Woodland Avenue
Cleveland, OH

PANEL

Kathleen M. Dugan, MODERATOR

The Cleveland Law Library

Matthew Ahn

2024 Candidate Cuyahoga County Prosecutor

Michelle B. Jackson

Community Organizer

Kayla Griffin

NAACP

Mike West

Cuyahoga County Board of Elections

ABOUT THE PANEL

Matthew Ahn

Ahn is an attorney law professor who ran for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor in 2024. Ahn attended Case Western Reserve University, taught at Cuyahoga Community College and after graduating from NYU School of Law, spent several years as a public defender and a special education attorney, representing parents. Before his prosecutorial campaign, Ahn taught at Cleveland State University College of Law as a visiting assistant professor.

Kayla Griffin

Griffin is the Ohio State Director of All Voting is Local and the current President of the Cleveland NAACP. Griffin previously served as the special project director for the Division of Recreation for the City of Cleveland, implementing youth and young-adult violence prevention, intervention, and opportunity initiatives. Griffin holds a Juris Doctorate and a Master of Public Administration from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor’s degree from Kent State University.

Michelle B. Jackson

Jackson is a community organizer and freelance writer residing in Cleveland’s Ward 4. Jackson was the Cleveland Ward 4 Field Organizer for the Hillary Clinton campaign. She was a Volunteer Coordinator for NOVA, a county-wide, volunteer-driven voter registration organization. Post-pandemic, Jackson has worked on social justice related issue campaigns, including The People’s Budget: Issue 38 and was, most recently, Manager of Outreach for Matthew Ahn’s bid for County Prosecutor.

Mike West

West has been with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections for sixteen years. As the Manager of the Community Outreach Department, West and his team are responsible for voter education, media relations, and government relations. Before joining the Board of Elections, West was a radio broadcast journalist for over 18 years. He has worked for and managed Public Radio stations, Native American radio stations, and commercial radio stations in the Cleveland, Los Angeles, Northeast Arizona, Northwest New Mexico, and Seattle, Washington.