An enormous amount of work goes into planning for Election Day. For months, poll workers and election administrators prepare to run their local elections smoothly to ensure that no one is left out of the democratic process. In this episode, host Simone Leeper takes listeners on a journey through the intricate process of running a local election, from its initial stages to the final vote tally. This comprehensive exploration highlights the checks and balances in place to facilitate voter participation and to guarantee that the final results will be accurate. In interviews with election administrators and experts, this episode underscores the commitment to ensuring free, fair and secure elections while promoting inclusivity and accessibility for all eligible voters.Simone engages in a captivating conversation with two experienced election workers: Scott Jarrett from Maricopa County, Arizona, and Lorena Portillo of Las Vegas, Nevada. They provide a valuable insider's perspective on the behind-the-scenes workings of the electoral process. Simone also speaks with Campaign Legal Center’s Director of Voting, Advocacy and Partnerships, Jonathan Diaz, who breaks down the election process, from voter registration and polling station setup to ballot counting and result certification. Each guest offers a detailed glimpse into the meticulous planning and execution that goes into safeguarding the democratic process. Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Scott Jarrett has been with Maricopa County Elections, a Department of the Board of Supervisors, for over four years. He currently serves as the Elections Director responsible for directing all in-person voting, tabulation operations, candidate filing, campaign finance, and warehouse operations. Scott is a wealth of knowledge directing the department operations and implementing strategic direction. He works closely with the Maricopa County Recorder, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and reports to the Maricopa County Manager. Scott is also an Elections Task Force member of the Bi-Partisan Policy Center, a member of the Election Assistance Commission Local Leadership Council and serves as president of the Election Officials of Arizona.Lorena S. Portillo was appointed the Clark County Registrar of Voters in March 2023, bringing more than 25 years of experience in elections to the office. As Registrar, Lorena serves as director of the County Election Department and is responsible for administering all local, state and federal elections for more than 1.3 million registered voters in Clark County. Lorena first joined the Election Department in 1998 as a part-time worker. She soon earned a full-time position with the department and steadily rose through the ranks, ultimately serving as Assistant Registrar of Voters for eight years. Ms. Portillo was born and raised in Las Vegas. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Phoenix and is a Certified Elections Registration Administrator through The Election Center.Jonathan Diaz is Director of Voting, Advocacy and Partnerships at Campaign Legal Center. He advocates for laws and policies that expand the freedom to vote for all Americans, and coordinates CLC’s relationships with national, state and local voting rights partners. Jonathan helps lead CLC’s work on combating election interference and participates on behalf of CLC on a number of democracy reform coalitions, coordinating CLC's work with partner organizations at the national, state and local levels. He also litigates voting rights cases across the United States, including VoteAmerica v. Raffensperger (N.D.Ga.), LUCHA v. Fontes (D.Ariz.), and Raysor v. Lee (N.D.Fla./11th Cir./SCOTUS). Jonathan frequently provides commentary on voting rights and election law issues in the media; he has been quoted in publications including the New York Times, Miami Herald and ProPublica, and has appeared on Univision, NPR and CNN, where he was an election law analyst during the 2020 election cycle. Links:In-Person Voting AccessCount Every Vote, So Every Vote CountsElection Workers Deserve to Feel Safe. Nevada is Taking Action About CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American’s right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. Learn more about us. Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey. Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time!

One of the most crucial but often overlooked aspects of American democracy is voter registration. Host Simone Leeper speaks with expert guests that provide a comprehensive view of the challenges that ordinary citizens face in registering to vote, from convoluted registration processes to restrictive laws and administrative hurdles. Julie Hilberg tells her story of how her name was illegally purged from the voting rolls  along with 100,000 other voters in Texas. CLC’s Senior Director of Voting Rights, Danielle Lang, guides listeners through the labyrinth of barriers that many Americans encounter when attempting to register to vote. And Nimrod Chapel Jr. shares how his work with the NAACP in Missouri examines the on-the-ground challenges faced by voter registration groups across the country. With a sobering yet hopeful perspective on voter registration, this episode also explores the efforts being made across the U.S. to modernize this fundamental democratic process. Host and Guests: Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Julie Hilberg is a resident of Atascosa County, Texas. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2015 and serves as the Democratic Chairwoman for Atascosa County. Voting and civic engagement are important to Julie and she has enjoyed being able to exercise her freedom to vote since she first registered in 2015.Danielle Lang is Senior Director, Voting Rights at Campaign Legal Center. She litigates in state and federal courts from trial to the Supreme Court, and advocates for equitable and meaningful voter access at all levels of government. Danielle has worked as a civil rights litigator her entire career. At CLC, she has led litigation against Texas's racially discriminatory voter ID law, Florida's modern-day poll tax for rights restoration, Arizona's burdensome registration requirements, North Dakota's voter ID law targeting Native communities, and numerous successful challenges to signature match policies for absentee ballots.Nimrod Chapel, Jr. is president of the Missouri State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He is an experienced trial attorney with over a decade of practice ranging from work in law firms to state government and covering a wide range of legal issues. Nimrod was responsible for a broad array of complex litigation regarding enforcement of civil rights, discrimination, consumer protection, and wage and hour and accessibility laws throughout Missouri. Links:I’ve Been a U.S. Citizen Since 2015. My State is Threatening to Purge Me From the RollsModernizing Voter RegistrationCLC Represents Missouri Civic Engagement Groups in Challenge to Anti-Voter LawIn Win for Voters, Missouri Judge Blocks Law Restricting Voter Engagement Activity About CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American’s right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. Learn more about us. Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey. Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time!

Why do local and state elections matter, and how can voters be sure that their voices are being represented in the lawmaking process? We open the third season of Democracy Decoded with an overview of democracy at the state and local level, and how we can ensure that all citizens can have their voices heard.In this episode Simone talks with Jawharrah Bahar about her experience losing and then regaining her freedom  to vote, and how that inspired her work with the advocacy group Free Hearts. CLC’s senior vice president Paul Smith explains how and why state and local governments are stepping in directly to protect the right to cast a ballot. Simone also speaks with the Arizona State Director for the organization All Voting is Local, Alex Gulotta. Alex talks about the fight for state and local voting policies that protect the freedom to vote of Black, brown, Native American, and other historically disenfranchised communities.Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Jawharrah Bahar is Director of Outreach at Free Hearts, an organization led by formerly incarcerated women that provides support, education, and advocacy in organizing families impacted by incarceration. In her role she has contributed to legislation, spoken at community events, participated in local advocacy campaigns, and raised community awareness through social media videos. Jawharrah is also a licensed esthetician and owner of Lashing Artistry.Paul Smith is Senior Vice President at Campaign Legal Center. He has four decades of experience litigating a wide range of cases. He has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court 21 times and secured numerous victories, including Lawrence v. Texas, the landmark gay rights case. In addition, Paul has argued several voting rights cases at the Supreme Court, including Vieth v. Jubelirer and Gill v. Whitford, involving partisan gerrymandering, LULAC v. Perry, involving the legality of Texas’s mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts and Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, involving the constitutionality of a voter identification law. Paul previously served as a partner in the law firm of Jenner & Block, where he was chair of the firm's Appellate and Supreme Court Practice and co-chair of the firm's Election Law and Redistricting Practice. Alex Gulotta is All Voting is Local’s Arizona State Director. He brings more than 30 years of experience as a poverty law advocate and more than 20 years as a nonprofit executive director. Alex practiced as a legal aid lawyer before becoming the executive director of the Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC). After that, he joined Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal) as executive director. Under his tenure, BayLegal significantly increased its impact litigation and policy advocacy through the implementation of an impact support structure designed to enable every advocate in the program to participate in high-end impact advocacy. Links:Voting Must Be AccessibleWhy the U.S. Needs Equitable Access to In-Person VotingI’m Unable to Vote Because I Have a Record, But I’m Not Going to Allow My Past to Be Held Against MeMidterm Ballot Initiatives Strengthening the Freedom to Vote Win Big About CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American’s right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. Learn more about us.Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey. Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time!

Federal elections–and their results–play a huge role in how our democracy operates. But decisions made at state and local elections have the most direct impact on people’s everyday lives. The local and state level also influences the way elections are run, and how citizens hold their elected officials accountable. Democracy Decoded is a podcast by Campaign Legal Center that examines our government and discusses innovative ideas that could lead to a stronger, more transparent, accountable and inclusive democracy. In the third season, host Simone Leeper covers everything you need to know about democracy at the state and local level–including where and when citizens can vote, campaign finance contribution limits, and how citizens can protect their communities’ interests in the face of corruption. Because our democracy works best, when every voter can fully participate.

In this bonus episode we’re featuring content from our friends at Future Hindsight, an award-winning podcast that takes big ideas about civic life and democracy and turns them into action items for all of us.Host Mila Atmos is passionate about unlocking the power of everyday citizens, and each week you can join her on the show as she zeroes in on what you can do to get engaged and stay engaged.In this episode, Mila Atmos interviews Kelly Dittmar, the Director of Research at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University about why diversity among women serving in public office strengthens our democracy, and how we can support more women to run in and win elections. Linkshttps://www.futurehindsight.com/ (Future Hindsight website)“Updating the FEC Candidate Salary Rule Could Help Increase Diversity in Office” (Campaign Legal Center) About CLCDemocracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American’s right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. You can visit us on the web at campaignlegalcenter.org.About The Democracy GroupDemocracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.