logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2022
26m 38s

What Next: The Right’s Poll-Watcher Army

Slate Podcasts
About this episode

Republicans who still haven’t accepted that Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in 2020 are recruiting “a volunteer army” of poll watchers and poll workers for upcoming elections. For those who want transparent and fair elections, an influx of enthusiasm is theoretically a good thing. But if new poll workers and poll watchers have an agenda— chasing after fraud that didn’t happen—can they hurt more than they help?  


Guest: Alexandra Berzon, investigative reporter for the New York Times. 


Guest hosted by Mary C. Curtis, columnist at Roll Call and host of its Equal Time podcast.


If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Today
What Next: TBD | The People Suing ICE
Though ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services denied their Freedom of Information Act requests, these journalists aren’t giving up without a fight—not until they get their hands on a document that outlines how much information ... Show More
25m 14s
Yesterday
Political Gabfest | Portland is Not Actually Burning
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the extremely consequential new Supreme Court term beginning this week, the facts on the ground and the legal questions at play behind Trump’s escalating deployments of troops to US cities, and the likely legal def ... Show More
1h 4m
Yesterday
What Next | The People Joining ICE
ICE needs more agents to meet Trump’s promised deportation numbers. But is loosening standards and shortening training time to get more agents on the street a good idea, when ICE’s work is becoming more controversial, confrontational, and dangerous? Guest: Robert Klemko, Washingt ... Show More
26m 48s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2021
Steve Bannon’s “War Room” is Mobilizing
Listeners of Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast have mobilized to take over the GOP from the ground up. Convinced the 2020 election was stolen, many far-right Republicans are moving to run elections themselves as precinct officers. Guest: Isaac Arnsdorf, national politics reporter ... Show More
31m 48s
May 2023
DeSantis Makes It Official
The Florida governor has finally officially entered the Republican presidential primary. With electoral wins and culture war conflicts under his belt, does Ron DeSantis actually have a chance at beating Donald Trump? Guest: Molly Ball, Time magazine’s national political correspon ... Show More
27m 10s
Nov 2021
A Controversial New Plan to Fight Homelessness
The Los Angeles City Council has passed a new policy giving Council members the power to target specific encampments for cleanup. While the effort might eventually result in less visible homelessness in some parts of the city, critics say it might be more in service of political ... Show More
24m 49s
Oct 2022
AMERICA HAS A (POLLING) PROBLEM
Pollsters are starting to panic. There’s headline after headline after headline ahead of the midterms on whether this election cycle’s polling is accurate or not. How does polling actually work? Is it really representative of how voters are feeling and what the outcome will be on ... Show More
56m 36s
Dec 2021
Best of 2021 | God Doesn’t Want Me Vaccinated
We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in September 2021. Who are the people seeking a religious exemption to the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate? What are their religious claims? And how do workplaces decide who ha ... Show More
29m 57s
Oct 2020
US election: A tale of two battlegrounds
As election day approaches, the campaigning in key battleground states has intensified. Florida and Pennsylvania are just two of a handful of states that could play a major role in deciding who will lead for the next four years. From the Cuban-American anti-socialists, to the pro ... Show More
32m 38s
Aug 2023
What Next: U.S. vs Trump
We’re eight months into the year—and former president Donald Trump has now been indicted three times. On Tuesday, a federal grand jury charged Trump with three counts of conspiracy and one count of obstruction. But what exactly does that mean? And can someone really run for presi ... Show More
25m 51s
Oct 2020
The Rush Limbaugh Show Podcast
PODCAST SUMMARY HOUR 1:Biden town hall beats Trump by 2 million in early ratings, but it's understandable, because nobody ever gets to see Plugs. ABC's town hall was softball. NBC's Savannah Guthrie was under pressure to grill Trump and she came through. QAnon. Trump doesn't want ... Show More
1h 50m
Apr 2024
Sacked, jailed, disgraced: The advisers set to rejoin Team Trump
It's official: With Donald Trump confirmed as the Republican nominee, the US presidential race will be a Trump v Biden rematch. And with the primary contest over, Trump seems to be courting chaos again with some of the most infamous personalities from his 2016 presidential campai ... Show More
26m 39s