Equity at the Polls: Voter Access in California Elections
Since 1960, California has greatly improved its voter registration process. Ballots are now mail-in, multilingual, and registration is available up to election day. Why then do California elections not fully reflect the diversity of the state? What tactics can increase – and sustain – voter engagement?
The 70.8%: What Explains California’s Voter Turnout?
In 2020, California had its highest voter turnout since 1952; but why? What factors into high and low voter turnout? How have watershed moments in California history affected turnout? We’ll explore what voting’s past means for California’s future.
California Youth & The Ballot
What are young people doing now to address the issues they care about? What future do they want to build when they come of voting age?
Show & Tell: What Can We Learn from Artifacts of California Elections?
Take a trip back through California’s voting history in this show-and-tell led by historian Susan D. Anderson and archivists from across the state. Hear seldom-told stories of struggles for voting rights and representation, from Suffrage to Civil Rights and more. Recorded February 2021.
Speakers: Angela Brinskele, Frances Kaplan, Sean Dickerson, Tamara Martin, Xaviera Flores
The Electoral College: What Were the Founders Thinking?
The Electoral College is an original American model, never duplicated outside of the country. Created after lively debate in the last days of the five-month long Constitutional Convention of 1787, it set forth that presidents would be selected — not by popular vote — but by electors in each state. What is its legacy today, in a more populous and mature America? Recorded January 2021.
Speakers: Sonja Diaz, Karthick Ramakrishnan, Mindy Romero, Dan Schnur
California on the Ballot: What’s the Deal with Direct Democracy?
From the legality of prize fighting (1914) to the definition of marriage (2000), Californians have approved 132 ballot measures, with profound and long-lasting consequences for the state. Recorded October 2020.
Speakers: Jason Cohn, Rachael Myrow, Joe Mathews, Raphael Sonenshein
California on the Ballot: Highlights from Season One
Our theme for California on the Ballot: Season One (October 2020-April 2021) is barriers to voting – what obstacles have defined the voter experience in California history? How has California worked to increase voter access? What work is left to do? We’ll talk with groups whose relationship to the ballot has a complicated history, including DACA recipients, incarcerated citizens, and Indigenous communities across California.
