The Latest: Attacks on Voter Registration

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1. 

   S4 · E7 · 29 Oct 2024 · 32 min

   The Latest: The 2024 Election, in a Nutshell

   An incumbent president drops out, mid-race. A former president becomes a party’s nominee for the first time in more than a century. There are multiple occurrences of political violence against a candidate. Newly emergent AI tools spread disinformation. And a Supreme Court that may be called upon to decide the race is perceived by the electorate as increasingly politicized. The 2024 election cycle has already made its share of history. With Election Day now just a week away, we bring you another of this season’s up-to-the-minute episodes. This time we’re speaking with Trevor Potter, president…

2. 

   S4 · E6 · 22 Oct 2024 · 27 min

   Know Your Rights as a Voter

   Imagine you’re at home when you hear a knock. At your door are people who want you to share, in detail, who you voted for in the last election, months ago. When you ask them who they are and where they’re from, they remain vague and perhaps even aggressive. This was the case for some Americans in the years after the 2020 election, part of a spate of behaviors by election skeptics and deniers that, in some cases, amounted to voter intimidation. The history of voter intimidation in the United States is sordid and violent, especially in the century between the U.S. Civil War and the passage of…

3. 

   S4 · E5 · 15 Oct 2024 · 33 min

   Navigating Election Facts in the AI Era

   When New Hampshire voters picked up the phone earlier this year and heard what sounded like the voice of President Joe Biden asking them not to vote in that state’s primary election, the stage was set for an unprecedented election year. The call was a deepfake — and the first major instance of artificial intelligence being used in the 2024 election. With the rise of AI tools that can credibly synthesize voices, images and videos, how are voters supposed to determine what they can trust as they prepare to cast their votes? To find out how lawmakers and civil society are pushing back against…

4. 

   S4 · E4 · 8 Oct 2024 · 30 min

   The Latest: The Fights Over Election Certification

   Election certification has traditionally been a mostly symbolic process in the United States. You vote, your vote gets counted, your precinct and others get tallied together (“canvassed” is the term of art) and, within a few days, everyone looks at the counts and agrees on a winner. But lately, this banal, bland procedure has become a political flashpoint, as people who question the election process impose unrealistic requirements on certification — and, in some cases, outright refuse to certify elections, even when state law requires them to do so. In another of this season’s…

5. 

   S4 · E3 · 1 Oct 2024 · 26 min

   Safeguarding America’s Electoral Process

   The peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of American democracy that sets the United States apart — the so-called north star of our electoral system. Yet the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 challenged that tradition profoundly. In the lead-up to this November, we answer the question that is on the minds of many voters: Will the months after this presidential election look like the aftermath of the last one? Fortunately, lawmakers who were caught in the eye of that storm seized the opportunity to make updates to our election laws that were, by some accounts, about 150 years…

6. 

   S4 · E1 · 17 Sep 2024 · 21 min

   Democracy’s Frontline Workers

   Election workers are the people in your neighborhood. They’re our friends, neighbors and co-workers who help keep American democracy safe and secure... But in 2020, many of them were maligned, harassed and threatened in battleground states — the targets of bad actors who sought to sow distrust in the electoral process. How can we better protect and support the many dedicated civil servants and volunteers who provide such crucial work? The thousands of election workers who will staff this November's election are the front line of security and safety for voters. The processes they help carry…

7. 

   S4 · 3 Sep 2024 · 2 min

   Democracy Decoded, Season 4: The U.S. Election System Explained

   American elections work because we have tried-and-tested systems in place to make sure votes are cast fairly and counted correctly, and that when threats arise, everyone has their part to play: lawmakers, poll workers, voting rights advocates, and everyday voters alike. To understand how our elections continue to evolve, this season of Democracy Decoded takes a deep dive into our electoral system, exploring the checks and balances that make the process safe, secure, and accurate. Host Simone Leeper will investigate the ways in which Congress took action after the January 6th attack on the…

8. 

   S3 · 25 Jun 2024 · 27 min

   Bonus: Peeling Back the Curtain on Local Government

   In this bonus episode we’re featuring content from one of our favorite podcasts called “When the People Decide”. Host Jenna Spinelle explores what happens when neighbors and local government work together to make their communities stronger and more inclusive. The episode takes place in Decatur, Georgia and tells the story of “Decatur 101” a straightforward class open to anyone in Decatur to learn about how their city government worked. We hear from Linda Harris, the originator of the class, and Decatur 101 participants about why understanding how your government works, empowers you to begin…

9. 

   S3 · E7 · 19 Oct 2023 · 26 min

   Better Choices, Better Elections

   Across the country, voters are organizing to protect their right to elect candidates of their choice. In the final episode of Season 3 of Democracy Decoded, host Simone Leeper explores the changing landscape of state and local elections, and some of the initiatives that can help ensure voters can choose candidates who truly represent their interests. This forward-looking episode offers a glimpse into innovative reforms that hold the promise of strengthening democracy. Simone speaks with Susan Soto Palmer, a community advocate and plaintiff that Campaign Legal Center represented in a landmark…

10. 

    S3 · E6 · 12 Oct 2023 · 22 min

    Keeping an Eye on Ethics

    When we elect representatives, we expect them to be held accountable to the people they represent and the laws they are subject to. But how can voters be sure that elected officials are acting with their best interests in mind? In this enlightening episode of Democracy Decoded, host Simone Leeper explores the pivotal role that state and local ethics commissions play in safeguarding the integrity of the democratic process and dives into some of the scandals that have brought about their creation. This episode underscores how independent oversight is crucial in preventing corruption. Simone…