All Americans have a voice, but too many Americans face roadblocks when it comes to casting their votes. People who are waiting to become naturalized citizens, people who are undocumented, people who were once incarcerated and so many others are forced to watch from the sidelines as their fellow Americans vote in the next election. The hosts of this podcast, journalists Maria Elena Perez and Nikki Rojas, speak to lawmakers, historians, non-profit leaders and everyday people to unpack the barriers many Americans have to overcome to make sure that their voices are heard during the voting process.
In the final episode, hosts Nikki Rojas and Maria Elena Perez will talk about the election results and circle back to the people/organizations that they interviewed to get their perspective on how the election went down.
Maria Elena Perez and Nikki Rojas discuss how difficult it is for some individuals to get to the polls on election day, and what organizations are doing to help get them there so they can express their right to vote.
Nikki Rojas and Maria Elena Perez dig into the laws preventing Americans with mental and physical disabilities from getting to the polls.
Maria Elena Perez and Nikki Rojas unpack why Americans living in U.S. territories, such as Puerto Rico, only have the right to vote during the primary elections.
Hosts Nikki Rojas and Maria Elena Perez dig into the laws and tactics being used to suppress voters’ rights as Americans prepare to elect their next president.
Maria Elena Perez and Nikki Rojas delve into the history of Native Americans, who went from owning the land to being forced to fight for citizenship in the U.S. The hosts also discuss how voter ID laws particularly affect tribal nations.
In the second part of a two-episode look at how the voting process excludes immigrants, Nikki Rojas and Maria Elena Perez discuss how the coronavirus pandemic halted naturalization ceremonies, stopping legal immigrants from being able to vote in the general election.
In the first part of a two-episode look at how the voting process excludes immigrants, Maria Elena Perez and Nikki Rojas take a look at how undocumented immigrants can’t vote for the lawmakers responsible for their fate in this country.
Nikki Rojas and Maria Elena Perez dig into the roadblocks faced by Americans who navigate through the criminal justice system. Americans who have been incarcerated or are currently incarcerated often lose the right to vote and have difficulties regaining that right. We hear from Nicole Porter from The Sentencing Project, Dr. Jane Gubser from Cook County Jail and artist Natti from CunninLynguists.
Maria Elena Perez and Nikki Rojas speak to Black historian and author Dr. Carol Anderson about the turbulent history of Black voter suppression and how those racist systems are still at play today.
In the second part of a two-episode look at the nation’s two main political parties, Maria Elena Perez and Nikki Rojas discuss instances where the Republican Party has blatantly suppressed voters. We hear from New Georgia Project executive director Nse Ufot and Harvard Kennedy professor Thomas Patterson
In the first part of a two-episode look at the nation’s two main political parties, Nikki Rojas and Maria Elena Perez speak to state Democrats and voting organization leaders about how well the Democratic Party is living up to its mission to “maximize voter participation for all Americans.” We hear from Colorado state Rep. Leslie Herod, Massachusetts state Sen. Becca Rausch, New Georgia Project executive director Nse Ufot and Center for Election Innovation & Research executive director David Becker.
Fun, short conversation with both hosts talking a bit about their first time voting experiences and how that inspired them to come up with this podcast. Preview AV’s first episode on the Democratic Party.
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