.avif)
Thoughtful conversations with innovative leaders from across the political spectrum to get your fix of news, cutting-edge analysis and ideas.
There’s a critical mass of evidence pointing to the ways in which our politics and political system are broken. So the real question is: what can we do about it? Democracy Fix is a podcast hosted by Dr. Carah Ong Whaley from Issue One, a cross partisan organization working to fix our broken political system and build an inclusive democracy that works for everyone. Join us for thoughtful conversations with innovative leaders from across the political spectrum to get your fix of news, cutting-edge analysis and ideas that will inspire you to join the broader movement to fix democracy.
In this episode, hosts Carah Ong Whaley, Angelina Clapp, and Mia Minkin sit down with King County, WA Director of Elections Julie Wise for a deep dive into the county’s award-winning initiatives to ensure all voices are heard in elections. Known for her passionate advocacy for voter accessibility and election transparency, Wise discusses the critical role of trained, nonpartisan election administrators in preserving democracy.
She highlights the challenges faced by election officials across the country, including the need for consistent and reliable federal funding, the impact of the spread of false election information, and the rise in threats against election workers. Despite the challenges, Wisee’s dedication to increasing voter participation and improving election systems remains unwavering.
Whether you're a policy wonk or just curious about what goes on behind the scenes in our elections, this episode is packed with insights on how to build a more inclusive and transparent democratic process.
Tune in to hear about the inspiring work being done in King County, WA to strengthen the foundation of our democracy.
Episode links:
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon joins Issue One’s Dr. Carah Ong Whaley and Liz Cassin to discuss the challenges posed by the spread of false election information and the importance of directing voters to credible sources. Recently, Grok, an AI chatbot operated by X (formerly known as Twitter), disseminated false information regarding ballot laws in nine states. In response, Sec. Simon and four other secretaries of state wrote a letter to Elon Musk, urging him to correct the misinformation. Sec. Simon highlights the broader challenges posed by AI models that often fail to provide accurate voting information and suggests a simple, proactive solution: directing users to accurate resources like CanIVote.org.
Our conversation also delves into the challenges posed by the spread of false information on social media. “I think social media companies have a really big and serious responsibility to the voters in this country,” Sec. Simon tells us. “They have an obligation to make sure that their users, all Americans, have accurate information.” Sec. Simon draws a distinction between platform-generated misinformation and user-generated content: “There are at least two ways that mis- and disinformation can come about. One is when users on a particular platform say the wrong thing, either unintentionally or intentionally. And while I can see that's tougher to police, it's not impossible to police. And when a particular post, maybe one that has a particularly large audience and penetration, is discovered, it's not an unreasonable request to reach out to these companies and ask them to do something about it.”
Minnesota has been at the forefront of legislative efforts to combat misinformation, including new laws that limit the use of deepfakes in campaigns. The state has also implemented laws to protect election workers from rising threats, harassment and intimidation that has resulted from the proliferation of false election information.
Links in this episode:
Despite a toxic information environment, election officials are stepping up to meet the moment and make elections more safe and secure in 2024. One of the leaders is Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a member of Issue One’s Faces of Democracy campaign, who just won a Clearinghouse Award for Outstanding Innovation in Election Cybersecurity and Technology.
In this episode, Secretary Fontes talks about how election officials are preparing for the challenges posed by the spread of false information, generative artificial intelligence technologies, the need for reliable federal funding for elections, and why ordinary Americans should step up and serve as poll workers this election year.
Be sure to listen through to the end of our conversation to learn about a not-so-secret talent Secretary Fontes has, why “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is his favorite movie, and which historical figure he would most like to meet.
Links in this episode:
.avif)
Carah Ong Whaley, PhD is Director of Election Protection at Issue One and a nationally renown expert on democracy reform. She works closely with IO’s Faces of Democracy, National Council on Election Integrity, and on a Elections Communications Hub that brings together nonpartisan organizations to advance election integrity, increase confidence in elections, and protect the right of individuals to exercise their democratic rights without interference. Previously, Carah worked at the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. She serves as co-chair of the American Political Science Association’s Civic Engagement section and is a member of APSA’s Civic Education Committee. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Teen Vogue, NPR, among others. She is co-author and editor of The Red Ripple: The 2022 Midterm Elections and What They Mean For 2024 (Rowman & Littlefield 2022); Civic Pedagogies: Teaching Civic Engagement in Era of Divisive Politics (Springer 2024); Leaning Into Politics: Higher Education and the Democracy We Need (Information Age Press 2024); American Government: Roots and Reform (chapters on Political Parties, Campaigns, Elections and Voting, and The Media; Pearson 2013-2024); “Jan. 6 Hearings Show a Democracy in Crisis. Civic Education Can Help;" "We the People, We the Process: Engaging Young People in Election Administration;" “Counting on Higher Education: Teaching and Assessing Knowledge and Participation in the 2020 Census;” among other publications. Carah was previously Associate Director of the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement at James Madison University. Under campus-wide voter education and engagement initiatives facilitated by Carah, over 75% of the student body turned out to vote in the 2020 election. Carah worked for non-governmental organizations on nuclear weapons and security issues from 1999-2012. She was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the Complete Count Commission for the 2020 Census. Carah holds a PhD in American Government and a Master’s in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and degrees in Spanish and Global Peace and Security from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
We're excited to welcome the newest addition to The Democracy Group: Democracy Fix — a new podcast by Issue One that highlights how organizations and individuals across the country are working to fix our political system.
Engaging in civil discourse. Inspiring civic engagement. Exploring the future of our democracy.
Join our community and never miss your favorite episodes from the Democracy Group.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
.avif)
%20(1)%20(1).avif)
(1).avif)
.avif)
