The Electorette Podcast

• Free & Fair? Rebekah Caruthers on the Real Barriers to the Ballot

  What’s really keeping Americans from the ballot box? In this urgent conversation, Rebekah Caruthers, President and CEO of the Fair Elections Center, breaks down the invisible “friction” that pushes voters out of the process—confusing and state-by-state registration rules, ID and signature hurdles (especially for Gen Z without DMV records), voter roll purges, and a rising climate of fear fed by mis- and disinformation. We go inside states like Georgia, Florida, Wisconsin, Mississippi, and Tennessee to see how policy choices—and lawsuits—shape who gets to participate. Caruthers reframes “voter apathy,” argues that democracy requires both contestation and participation, and offers clear, immediate steps: check your registration often, learn your state’s rules, and show up in every election—not just the big ones. If you’ve ever wondered whether we can still have free and fair elections, this episode is a master class in how to protect them. Conversation takeaways Why registration is harder than it looks (AVR/online systems still hinge on DMV signatures). How roll purges and mid-decade redistricting depress participation. The role of fear, misinformation, and new criminal penalties around helping voters. Why local races (school boards, utilities, county commissions) impact daily life the most. Practical steps to safeguard your vote—and your community’s. Chapters (00:00) Barriers to Voting Registration and Turnout Voter suppression, civic participation, and innovative approaches to voter registration discussed in relation to fair elections. (11:37) Defending and Facilitating Voting Rights Participating in every election strengthens democracy, but challenges like voter purges and misconceptions persist. (21:22) Importance of Voting in Local Elections Understanding voter apathy, the power of local elections, and the urgency of political engagement in shaping democracy. (27:45) Challenges in Voting Rights Legislation Voting rights in the US, civic education, state laws, barriers for returning citizens, and the need for action. (43:41) Importance of Physical Document Ownership Having a physical copy of the Constitution allows for direct engagement with primary sources and avoids potential misinformation from digital versions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Can the Voting Rights Act Survive This Supreme Court Term?

  Sophia Lin Lakin on How the Supreme Court Could Dismantle the Law Protecting Voters The U.S. Supreme Court is once again preparing to rule on a case that could further dismantle the Voting Rights Act — Callais v. Landry. At the center of this case is Section 2, one of the last remaining protections against racial discrimination in voting. After Louisiana courts ruled that the state’s congressional map illegally diluted Black voting power, a new map was drawn to include a second majority-Black district. But now, a group of white voters — and the state of Louisiana itself — are asking the Court to go even further, claiming that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. If the Court agrees, it could strip away the very protections that ensure voters of color can participate equally in our democracy. To unpack the case and its sweeping implications, Jen Taylor Skinner speaks with Sophia Lin Lakin, Director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, whose team represents Black voters in this landmark case. They discuss the history behind Section 2, the chilling parallels to Shelby County v. Holder, and what this moment could mean for the future of voting rights in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• The Conservative Backlash Against Ballot Measures: A Conversation with Kelly Hall

  Ballot measures have given voters the power to pass life-changing policies that lawmakers often won’t — from raising the minimum wage and expanding healthcare access, to protecting reproductive rights and curbing predatory payday lending. But now, the process itself is under threat. New Report: ATTACKS ON DIRECT DEMOCRACY DOUBLED IN 2025 Ballot Measure Rescue Campaign In this episode, I speak with Kelly Hall, Executive Director of The Fairness Project, about a new report showing how conservative lawmakers are working to undermine direct democracy. With nearly 150 bills introduced across the country, these efforts would make it harder for citizens to place initiatives on the ballot and harder to pass them once they’re there. We discuss what’s at stake, how these attacks are spreading, and why defending ballot measures is essential to protecting the will of the people. (00:01) Attacks on Direct Democracy Conservative lawmakers are attacking the ballot measure process, threatening direct democracy and silencing voters. (12:57) Undermining Direct Democracy Supermajority requirements, single-subject rules, and bureaucratic hurdles hinder direct democracy and civic engagement. (23:33) Arkansas Advocates Protecting Ballot Measures Missouri's political maneuvers target direct democracy and reproductive rights, including attempts to restrict abortion and gender-affirming care. (35:19) Protecting Direct Democracy Florida's restrictive ballot measures face challenges, but litigation and public support continue to protect direct democracy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights with Dr. Keisha Blain

  Historian and scholar, Dr. Keisha Blain joins The Electorette to discuss her groundbreaking new book, Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights. This vital chronicle reframes the history of Black women’s activism—not only as a fight for civil rights in the U.S., but as a global human rights struggle that continues to shape our world today. From Ida B. Wells’s anti-lynching crusade that called out America on the world stage, to Madam C.J. Walker’s international diplomacy, to Black women activists who linked civil rights to anti-apartheid and Palestinian liberation, Dr. Blain uncovers how Black women’s vision of justice has always been expansive, international, and transformative. We also explore what their legacy teaches us about today’s political moment, and why documenting these stories is essential as forces attempt to erase them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• The Double Tax: Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman on the Hidden Costs Women of Color Pay

  In the past three months, more than 300,000 Black women have left the labor force. Economist and author Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman calls this the double tax—the compounded burden of being both a woman and a person of color in an economy designed to take more and give less. From higher prices for haircare and beauty products, to childcare that consumes a larger share of income, to systemic barriers in jobs, salaries, housing, and wealth—these hidden costs fall on women of color across the board. But for Black women, they are especially stark, leaving them with fewer opportunities, lower pay, higher living costs, and far less generational wealth than their white counterparts. Her groundbreaking book, The Double Tax: How Women of Color Are Overcharged and Underpaid, shows how these inequities aren’t incidental—they’re structural. And unless they’re confronted, everyone pays the price. (00:01) The Double Tax on Black Women Black women's "double tax" in labor force discussed with author Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, emphasizing solutions and self-advocacy. (07:06) Cost of Hair Emotional and Financial Perceived progress in racial equality, false sense of progress, hair burdens for Black women, generational trauma and societal expectations. (13:58) Navigating Beauty Standards as Black Women Growing up in predominantly Black and white educational environments, facing anti-Blackness and challenges in PWIs, finding representation and redefining beauty standards. (22:01) The Double Tax on Beauty Standards Representation and accessibility in the beauty industry for Black and Asian American women, highlighting the "double tax" and need for inclusive representation. (34:03) The Double Tax in the Workplace Legislation is needed to combat hair discrimination in the workplace, along with addressing white beauty standards and the "double tax" faced by Black professionals. (41:41) Power Dynamics and Motherhood Impact Proximity to power is unequal among races and genders, with white men dominating top professions and Black women facing the most barriers. (47:11) The Burden of Motherhood Motherhood's financial burden, childcare costs, Black women as breadwinners, and the impact of technology on education and employment. (01:01:19) The Cost of Womanhood Empowering women at all stages, advocating for oneself, and the cost of womanhood are discussed in a heartfelt chapter. #DoubleTax Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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