Keepers of Our Republic

What does it really take to run an election? Andrew Richards, Elections Director for Davidson County, North Carolina, joins Keepers of Our Republic to talk about the people, preparation, and behind-the-scenes work that make elections happen. Andrew shares lessons from more than a decade in election administration, why “boring” elections are the goal, how his team uses poll-worker feedback to impro...

Missouri’s congressional redistricting fight has taken a series of unexpected turns, with state and federal courts weighing in on which map will be used in the upcoming election. In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host Brooke Bergen is joined by Eric Fey, Director of the St. Louis County Board of Elections, and Brianna Lennon, Boone County Clerk, to unpack the complicated legal battle ove...

What happens when a major disaster strikes just weeks before an election?  In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host Tate Fall sits down with Corinne Duncan, Election Services Director for Buncombe County, North Carolina, to discuss what it takes to run elections in the face of unexpected challenges. Corinne shares how her team navigated the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which devastated A...

In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host Tate Fall sits down with Philip Hinson, Deputy Director of Elections for Union County, North Carolina, for a behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to run a secure election. From testing voting equipment and protecting election infrastructure to responding when the power goes out at a polling place, Philip explains the layers of preparatio...

Most Americans are familiar with the U.S. Supreme Court—but far fewer understand how state courts operate or why many states elect their judges. This week, attorney Brooke Bergen sits down with Tom Phillips, retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, for a conversation about the unique role state courts play in our constitutional system. Judge Phillips explains how judges interpret the l...

What does it take to administer elections for more than 858,000 registered voters? This week, host Tate Fall sits down with Olivia McCall, Director of Elections for Wake County, North Carolina, to discuss the logistics, leadership, and transparency required to oversee one of the largest election operations in the state. Olivia shares how she found her career in election administration, what it tak...

In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host and former election official Tate Fall sits down with Sydney Romine, Director of Elections for Surry County, North Carolina, to explore how bipartisan election administration works on the ground. Sydney takes listeners inside North Carolina’s election system, where Republicans and Democrats work side-by-side throughout the process—from local precinc...

Where will the next generation of election officials come from? And what does it take to build a career running America's elections?  In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host and former Georgia elections official Tate Fall sits down with Tim Tsujii, Elections Director for Forsyth County, North Carolina, to talk about the growing professionalization of election administration and the p...

This week on Keepers of Our Republic, host Brooke Bergen sits down with former Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald for a wide-ranging conversation about judicial independence, accountability, and the unique role of state courts in American democracy. Justice Recktenwald takes us inside Hawaiʻi's distinctive merit-based system for selecting judges and explains how Native Ha...

What does it actually take to run an election? And what happens when election officials are asked to do more without the time, staff, or funding to do it? In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host and former Georgia elections official Tate Fall sits down with Milton Kidd, Director of Elections and Voter Registration for Douglas County, Georgia, to talk about the enormous logistical operatio...

America turns 250 this week, but what does that milestone mean at a moment of deep political division? In this special Independence Day episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host Brooke Bergen shares a collection of reflections from retired federal judges, legal scholars, civic educators, and leaders from across the legal profession, recorded during a symposium at the University of Washington School...

This week on Keepers of Our Republic, host Tate Fall sits down with Brook Schreiner, Elections Director for Chatham County, Georgia, to discuss what it takes to administer elections in one of the state's largest and most diverse counties. After spending more than a decade in election administration, everywhere from large metro counties to rural communities, Brook shares why she continues to d...

In this episode, we sit down with Judge Robert Henry, former judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, former Oklahoma Attorney General, and Jurist in Residence for Rule of Law at the University of Washington School of Law. Recorded at the University of Washington School of Law's *Neither Sword nor Purse* conference, Judge Henry reflects on why judicial independence has been e...

In this episode, host Tate Fall sits down with Tonnie Adams, Elections Supervisor for Heard County, Georgia, and one of the state's most experienced election administrators. Tonnie shares how he went from a Georgia Tech engineering graduate helping implement Georgia's first statewide electronic voting system to becoming the election official responsible for serving nearly 9,000 voters in...

In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, former Georgia election official Tate Fall sits down with Rebecca Anglin, Director of Elections in Greene County, Georgia, to talk about what it really takes to run elections at the local level, and why her office proudly calls itself the “Chick-fil-A of voting.” Rebecca shares her journey from teenage poll worker to county election director and reflects...

This week on Keepers of Our Republic, host Brooke Bergen speaks with civic educators, legal scholars, and former judges at the University of Washington School of Law. They chat about the growing civics education gap in the United States, and what it means for the future of democracy. Guests discuss declining public trust in government and the judiciary, why so many Americans misunderstand how cour...

In this special episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host Brooke Bergen travels to the University of Washington School of Law for a judicial conference featuring some of the nation’s leading former federal judges, legal scholars, and attorneys. Through a series of conversations with retired federal judges from across the country, this episode explores growing threats to judicial independence, the e...

In this episode, host Tate Fall sits down with Deidre Holden, longtime elections director in Paulding County, Georgia, for a conversation grounded in service, experience, and a deep commitment to voters. With nearly three decades in election administration, Deidre Holden from Paulding County, Georgia, shares how she got her start, why she’s stayed, and what continues to motivate her work. From mai...

Cut through the partisan noise and find out how elections really work in your community, and around the country, straight from the election workers themselves.  In this episode, host Tate Fall sits down with Travis Doss, Executive Director of the Richmond County Board of Elections and a 31-year veteran of election administration in Georgia. Travis shares how he got his start in elections (spoiler:...

In this episode, our new elections expert co-host Tate Fall sits down with Akyn and Noah Beck, a married couple serving as election directors in neighboring Georgia counties, to talk about what it really takes to run free and fair elections. From rebuilding voter trust to recruiting poll workers with limited resources, they share how local election officials keep things running—often behind the sc...

In this episode of Keepers of Our Republic, host Brooke sits down with former U.S. District Judge John Martin, who also served as U.S. Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most influential prosecutorial offices in the country. At a time when U.S. Attorneys’ offices are making headlines, and facing growing scrutiny, Judge Martin offers a grounded, h...

From East Baltimore to the federal bench, Judge Andre Davis built a career rooted in one idea: the law is a tool for public service. In this episode of Keepers of the Republic, Brooke sits down with the former Fourth Circuit judge to talk about civil rights, community impact, and what it really means to uphold the rule of law. They cover everything from his unexpected path to the bench, to leaving...

What's really happening in Michigan elections, and what's changed in recent years? In this episode of Keepers of the Republic, hosts Ari Mittleman and Kamryn Hoadley sit down with Lynn Henry, Deputy Clerk and Elections Director for Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. From implementing early voting to managing a surge in absentee ballots, Lynn shares a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes...

Voting is a fundamental right — but for many Americans with disabilities, accessing the ballot can still present real challenges. This week, Brooke sits down with former Cobb County, Georgia Elections Director Tate Fall to explore how accessibility shapes election administration. From ADA compliance at polling places to ensuring voters with physical and intellectual disabilities can confidently ca...

Wisconsin is one of the nation’s leaders in voter turnout — but how do its elections actually work? This week, Ari sits down with Wisconsin Elections Commission administrator Meagan Wolfe to discuss how the state administers elections through nearly 2,000 local election officials. They talk about Wisconsin’s unique bipartisan commission system, the challenges of training clerks across the state, a...