The Electorette Podcast

In this final episode of the season, I have a casual and meaningful conversation with a friend: essayist and National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, Leta McCollough Seletzky. Leta joins me to discuss the impact Black women had on this election, on Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign, and we explore how the campaign affected us personally. We also discuss how the country's treatment of marginali...

Pamela Smith, election security expert and President and CEO of Verified Voting, delves into the critical aspects of voting integrity, and gets into the weeds of voting equipment, voter purges, ballot audits, recount procedures, and the hand-counting process, while addressing every conceivable question on election security. We also revisit the historic 2000 Presidential Election between George W....

Kelly Hall, the Executive Director of The Fairness Project, an organization focused on empowering voters through citizen-led ballot measures, has become the country's largest backers of abortion ballot measures, investing $30M to critical ballot campaigns like those in Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Montana, and Nebraska. Ballot measures have become a critical lifeline to strengthening, restoring and...

Political activist, and co-founder of the progressive organization Indivisible, Leah Greenberg, discusses the early days of the organization, and what she hoped would happen after publishing the first Indivisible Guide in 2016. We also discuss the big tent strategy embraced by the Harris-Walz campaign, and whether the coalition can hold after the election. Lastly, we discuss what you can do NOW, a...

Kelley Robinson, the President of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC.org), the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, discusses the enthusiasm on the ground for the Harris-Walz campaign. Kelley and the folks at Human Rights Campaign have held GOTV events across the country, in battleground states, on college campuses, and at HBCUs. She provides an update on those events, talks Project 2025...

USAFacts President, Poppy MacDonald, discusses their mission to provide solid, unbiased facts about the United States that are rooted in data. USAFacts is a nonprofit, founded by Steve Ballmer, who assembled a small team of economists, writers, and researchers to help comb through government data. Poppy MacDonald discusses how this data can then be used to shape policy, to inform constituents, and...

In 2018, Liuba Grechen Shirley launched a historic congressional campaign to represent New York’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives—all while raising two young children under six-years-old. As her demanding campaign schedule clashed with limited access to affordable childcare, Liuba quickly realized the whole thing was untenable. So, six months into her campaign, Liuba petitioned t...

Senior Advisor for Black Engagement for Climate Power, Markeya Thomas, discusses the organization's $10 Million Black Engagement program, aimed at mobilizing Black voters around climate change, in battleground states. Climate Power is focus on educating voters on the differences between the two campaigns—one which has a track record of putting forth policies that create green jobs, with a history...

Historian, educator, and author, Carol Anderson, discusses her book, "One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy." This episode replay is part of The Electorette 2024 Election Coverage series, and is a reply of an important conversation with voting rights scholar, Carol Anderson. Prof. Carol Anderson, the Charles Howard Candler Professor and Chair of African American St...

Aimee Allison, the Founder and President of She the People, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to an America redefined and inspired by women of color, discusses a new poll of women of color, conducted by She the People, in collaboration with The 2040 Strategy Group. The poll found Harris should actually LEAN into her identity, as it motivates this group of voters. It also uncovers the key...

Sociologist, and sexual violence researcher, Dr. Nicole Bedera, discusses her new book, On the Wrong Side: How Universities Protect Perpetrators and Betray Survivors of Sexual Violence. The book is a must-read, and Dr. Bedera's research often spills over into conversations on social media — like a recent thread in which she unpacks how the implicit thread of sexual violence, has seeped into politi...

Liz Walters, Chairwoman of the Ohio Democratic Party, discusses the November election, what pundits get wrong about Ohio voters, crucial initiatives on this November's ballot, and of course, Ohio's own J.D. Vance, and his regressive views about women, and reproductive freedom. This episode was made possible with a grant from the MacArthur Foundation through URL Media. Listen to All Electorette Epi...

Alabama Representative Marilyn Lands, made headlines earlier this year when she defeated a Republican in a special election, and flipped a red district—a district that Trump had previously won by a large margin. And she did it by sharing her own abortion story. Lands joins me to discuss that election, her upcoming legislative goals, as well as, how leaning into a personal narrative, especially on...

Debbie Cox Bultan, the CEO of the NewDEAL, discusses J.D. Vance's harmful worldview as it relates to women, and how his view aligns perfectly with the dark, oppressive vision Project 2025 lays out for women's lives. This episode was made possible with a grant from the MacArthur Foundation through URL Media. From this Episode: Debbie Cox Bultan's podcast: An Honorable Profession The NewDEAL Leaders...

Representative Shontel Brown of Ohio discusses her key legislation, including the U-FIGHT Act: The Uterine Fibroid Intervention and Gynecological Health and Treatment Act, as well as, proposed legislation to minimize the impact of artificial intelligence technologies on all U.S. elections. This episode was made possible with a grant from the MacArthur Foundation through URL Media. From this Episod...

Special Coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago: Representative Lauren Underwood joins The Electorette to discuss a new resolution (Resolution 1386) just introduced by Democrats to counter the Republican's Project 2025, and its dark vision for the country. Underwood also discusses the Momnibus Act, Vice President Kamala Harris's support for maternal healthcare, and the palpable e...

Author, and award-winning political strategist, Atima Omara, joins me to discuss the energy and enthusiasm behind Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz's campaign. We discuss whether this energy will translate to more trust and support for women candidates in the future, particularly Black women, and other women of color who run for office. We also talk about the chemistry between Harris and W...

Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, the Executive Director of Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC), discusses November ballot measures, particularly initiatives that will expand abortion access in states where abortion has been restricted or banned. We also discuss how ballot measures allow ordinary citizens an avenue to transform their communities. From this Episode: Ballot Initiative Strategy Cen...

Leader Fentrice Driskell of the Florida House of Representatives discusses Florida's extreme abortion law, which earlier this year banned abortion at 6 weeks — before most women know they're pregnant. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, as there is an initiative on the Florida ballot this November, which, if passed, could significantly expand access in the state. Leader Driskell also...

Award-winning activist and author, Soraya Chemaly, discusses her new book, The Resilience Myth: New Thinking on Grit, Strength, and Growth After Trauma, and dismantles long-standing notions about what resilience is, while challenging us to rethink how we employ resilience as a source of grit and strength both within ourselves and for others. From this Episode: The Resilience Myth: New Thinking on...

Dr. Regina Davis Moss, the CEO & President of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, discusses the urgency of advocating for reproductive justice ahead of this election, the organizations decision to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president, and the history of the Reproductive Justice movement which marks its 30th anniversary this year. From this Episode: I...

Professor Emily M. Bender, and sociologist Dr. Alex Hanna discuss the impact of Artificial Intelligence and whether our government can protect us from its potential harms via legislation, and regulation. We also discuss the sociological harms of AI, as well as the environmental impact. Lastly, Professor Bender discusses the reaction to a paper she presented in 2021, titled "On the Dangers of Stoch...

Esteemed sociology professor, Jessica Calarco, discusses her new book "Holding It Together: How Women Became America's Safety Net." While other countries have an adequate social safety net, with services that include universal childcare, paid leave, and other services, America has instead locked women into this role. In this episode, Professor Calarco discusses how America has historically and sys...

GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis, joins The Electorette to discuss their newly released data about LGBTQ voters, what this data reveals about LGBTQ voter engagement ahead of the election, and how anti-LGBTQ bills will not be a winning voter issue on the ballot. In our conversation, Ellis also addresses the following: Are LGBTQ voters enthusiastic about the upcoming election season? What e...

EMILYs List president, Jessica Mackler, joins The Electorette to discuss the importance of electing pro-choice, Democratic women to office—candidates who are unapologetic advocates for reproductive rights. We also discuss how unified messaging about abortion rights, among all Democrats, will energize voters. Lastly, we discuss the crucial role Vice President Kamala Harris has in being an outspoken...