The Voting Booth
AEI’s John Fortier and EAC Commissioner Don Palmer pull back the curtain of the Voting Booth to reveal the inner workings of elections. They are joined by Secretaries of State, local election officials, scholars, and lawyers to examine the issues leading the 2024 elections.
A Conversation with Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Tre Hargett, Tennessee's Secretary of State.
Developing and Testing Election Technology (with Jared Marcotte)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Jared Marcotte, President of The Turnout.
What Can States Do to Improve Voter Lists? (with Michael Watson)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Michael Watson, Secretary of State of Mississippi and incoming president of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS).
Priorities for Election Administration Reform (with Brad Raffensperger)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Brad Raffensperger, Secretary of State of Georgia.
Show Notes:
Secretary Raffensperger Announces the “Georgia Plan” for Federal Election ReformThe Electoral College and the Electoral Count Reform Act (with Richard H. Pildes)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Richard H. Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law at New York University School of Law.
How Election Rules Affect Who Wins (with Eitan Hersh)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Eitan Hersh, Professor of Political Science at Tufts University.
Materials Discussed:
"How Election Rules Affect Who Wins""How Did Absentee Voting Affect the 2020 U.S. Election?"Election Day Updates from Election Officials and Experts

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer speak with state and local election administrators, as well as experts on election administration for live updates on Election Day 2024.
A Conversation with Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Cord Byrd, Florida's Secretary of State.
Running Elections in Tampa After Hurricanes Helene and Milton: A Local Election Administrator’s Perspective (with Craig Latimer, Supervisor of Elections in Hillsborough County, FL)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Craig Latimer, Supervisor of Elections in Hillsborough County, FL.
Show Notes:
Executive Order of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis regarding electionsKeeping Elections Running After Hurricane Helene (with Karen Brinson Bell, Executive Director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Karen Brinson Bell, Executive Director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Strengthening Trust in Elections Through Voter List Maintenance (with Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Frank LaRose, Ohio Secretary of State.
Threats to Election Security: What Not to Worry About (with Emily Frye)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Emily Frye, Director for Cyber Integration at MITRE’s Center for Securing the Homeland.
Election Technology and Election Security (with Sara A. Cutter)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Sara A. Cutter, Executive Director of the American Council for Election Technology (ACET).
Ballot Battles: The History of Disputed Elections in the United States (Live with OSU Law’s Edward Foley)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Edward B. Foley, Ebersold Chair in Constitutional Law at The Ohio State University.
How the EAC Helps Keep Elections Accessible and Smoothly Run (with EAC Commissioner Thomas Hicks)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by U.S. Election Assistance Commission Commissioner Thomas Hicks.
Show Notes:
National Poll Worker Recruitment DayHow Does a Candidate Dropping Out Affect the Administration of Elections? (with John Fortier and Don Palmer)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer discuss how President Biden's dropping out of the presidential election affects the administration of the 2024 elections.
Reviewing the Supreme Court’s Decisions in the NetChoice Cases and Murthy v. Missouri (with Former FEC Commissioner Brad Smith)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Bradley A. Smith, Chairman and Founder of the Institute for Free Speech and former Federal Election Commission Commissioner.
Running Elections After Bush v. Gore (with Ron Turner, Supervisor of Elections in Sarasota County, FL)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Ron Turner, Supervisor of Elections in Sarasota County, Florida.
Building an Elections Encyclopedia (with Ballotpedia Editor-in-Chief Geoff Pallay)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Geoff Pallay, Director of Editorial Content and Editor-in-Chief at Ballotpedia.
Fortifying Voter Trust and Confidence in Elections (with Georgia Sec. of State Brad Raffensperger)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Brad Raffensperger, Secretary of State of Georgia.
HAVA and the Beginning of the Election Assistance Commission (with Doug Lewis)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Doug Lewis, Former Executive Director of The Election Center.
Running an Election: An Hour-by-Hour Look (with Genya Coulter)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Genya Coulter, Senior Director, Stakeholder Relations & Social Media at the OSET Institute.
Looking at National Trends in Election Administration (with Wendy Underhill)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Wendy Underhill, Director of Elections and Redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Recapping the Supreme Court's Decision in Trump v. Anderson (with Edward Foley)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Edward Foley (Charles W. Ebersold and Florence Whitcomb Ebersold Chair in Constitutional Law at the Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law) to recap the Supreme Court's decision in Trump v. Anderson.
Free Speech, Regulation of Speech, and Elections (with Eugene Volokh)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Eugene Volokh (Gary T. Schwartz Distinguished Professor of Law at UCLA Law) to recap the NetChoice, LLC v. Paxton oral argument and preview Murthy v. Missouri.
Recapping the NetChoice, LLC v. Paxton Oral Argument (with Bryan Hughes)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Texas State Senator Bryan Hughes (R, District 1).
What Goes into Running a Smooth Election? (with Thad Hall)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Thad Hall, Director of the Voter Registration and Election Bureau in Mercer County, Pennsylvania.
The South Carolina Primary, Explained (with Howard Knapp)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Howard Knapp, Executive Director of the South Carolina Election Commission.
Can Trump Stay on the Ballot? Recapping Trump v. Anderson (with Rick Hasen and Derek Muller)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Rick Hasen (Professor of Law at UCLA Law) and Derek Muller (Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School), to discuss Trump v. Anderson.
How Redistricting and Recounts Affect Election Administration (with E. Mark Braden)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by E. Mark Braden, Of Counsel at BakerHostetler, to discuss how the redistricting and recount processes effect the administration of our elections.
The New Hampshire Primary, Explained (with David Scanlan)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by David Scanlan, Secretary of State of New Hampshire, to discuss the New Hampshire primary.
The Iowa Caucuses, Explained (with Alan Ostergren)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Alan Ostergren, an election law attorney in Iowa, to discuss the Iowa caucuses.
What Does the Election Assistance Commission Do? Part 2 (with Benjamin Hovland)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Benjamin Hovland, Commissioner on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).
What Does the Election Assistance Commission Do? Part 1 (with Christy McCormick)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Christy McCormick, Commissioner on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).
Making Elections Work during Emergency Situations (with Mark Earley)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Mark Earley, Supervisor of Elections of Leon County (FL).
Keeping Elections Secure from Foreign Interference (with Maggie Toulouse Oliver)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Maggie Toulouse Oliver, Secretary of State of New Mexico.
Bonus Episode: How Virginia Votes (with Gretchen Reinemeyer)

Show Notes:
Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) Data Briefs for Virginia: 2022 and 2020
Election Administration at State and Local Levels
Automatic Voter Registration
Same-Day Voter Registration
Canvass, Certification and Contested Election Deadlines and Voter Intent Laws
Election Recounts
Running a Ranked Choice Voting Election (with Gretchen Reinemeyer)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Gretchen Reinemeyer, General Registrar/Director of Elections for Arlington County, VA.
What Election Officials are Talking About for 2024 (with Shane Schoeller)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Shane Schoeller, Clerk of Greene County, MO and a former Missouri state legislator.
What the Data Tell Us about Running Elections (with Charles Stewart III)

Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Charles Stewart III, Kenan Sahin Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Materials Discussed:
MIT Election Data and Science LabElection Administration and Voting Survey