The Democracy Lab

Why We Need Boring Election Officials

Eveline sits down with Kevin Johnson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-johnson-992287/], Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Election Reformers Network [https://www.electionreformers.org/] (ERN), to discuss the past, present, and future problem of partisan election officials in America. They dive into the reasons why the U.S. is the only modern democracy with this set-up, and what that means for how groups like the ERN advocate for change. Check out our work at expanddemocracy.org [expanddemocracy.org] and our musings on Substack [https://expanddem.substack.com/].

Shining a Light on Dark Money

Constitutional amendments are not just theoretical. In this episode, Expand Democracy President and Founder Rob Richie sits down with Jeff Clements [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-clements/], CEO of American Promise, to discuss the movement underway to reject Citizens United. Learn how 25 states, most recently Idaho, have passed legislation in support of a constitutional amendment, and how more are on the way. Check out our work at expanddemocracy.org [expanddemocracy.org] and our musings on Substack [https://expanddem.substack.com/].

The Electoral College Workaround That Could Actually Work

The Electoral College isn't going anywhere, but there's a way to work around it without a constitutional amendment. Rob sits down with Chris Pearson, Executive Director of National Popular Vote, to talk about the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, what it would take to get it over the finish line, and what two decades of state-level reform advocacy actually looks like from the inside. Check out our work at expanddemocracy.org and our musings on Substack.

The Future of Civic Engagement Is Already Here

Young leaders are taking the democracy space by storm. In this episode, our own Gen Z fellow Nivea Krishnan sits down with Alex Edgar [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-w-edgar/] (Made By Us [https://historymadebyus.org/]), LaJuan Allen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lajuanallen/] (Vote16USA [https://vote16usa.org/]) and Jahnavi Rao [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahnavirao/] (New Voters [https://www.new-voters.org/]) to discuss the world of youth civic engagement. Their conversation unpacks effective organizing strategies, identifies trends in youth participation, and underscores the way we must collaborate inter-generationally to expand democracy. Check out our work at expanddemocracy.org [expanddemocracy.org] and our musings on Substack [https://expanddem.substack.com/].

Reimagining Election Administration in the Age of AI

This week on The Democracy Lab, Nivea sits down with Bill Gates [https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-gates-ba130a335/], Executive Director of the Mechanics of Democracy Lab [https://modl.spa.asu.edu/], to explore how artificial intelligence can transform election administration. they unpack how AI tools could ease the burden on election officials, improve accuracy and efficiency, and strengthen trust in the democratic process. Check out our work at expanddemocracy.org and our analyses on Substack [https://expanddem.substack.com/].