President Donald Trump's relentless attacks on vote by mail are needlessly threatening public trust in absentee voting. Learn the truth about vote by mail and the threats to its future.

Host: Anne Kim, Washington Monthly

Guests: Phil Keisling, former Oregon Secretary of State; Barbara Smith Warner, Center for Responsive Government

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to vote by mail and its importance

02:07 History and growth of vote at home states

03:21 Demographics relying on vote at home

04:36 Partisanship and vote at home expansion

06:27 Addressing voter fraud claims and evidence

08:02 Security features of mail ballots

10:00 Impact of vote at home on election turnout

12:16 Trump's executive order on Postal Service and mail voting

13:00 Postal Service's role and security concerns

15:19 Legal and constitutional issues with postal regulations

17:41 Implementation challenges for election officials

20:05 Supreme Court decisions and future challenges

22:30 Implications for future elections and legal safeguards

25:20 Election administration resilience and confidence

29:45 Policy recommendations for Congress to protect vote by mail

1 in 5 voters who supported Donald Trump iin 2024 now regrets their vote, according to a new survey from Navigator Research. Inflation and war are their biggest complaints.

But Democrats shouldn't count on their votes. "Trump regretters" remain deeply skeptical about both parties' ability to deliver on their promises.

Host: Anne Kim, Washington Monthly

Guest: Tina Tang, Navigator Research

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Trump voter regret and its significance

01:58 Demographic breakdown of regretters: age, race, gender

03:53 Key issues driving regret: costs, war, broken promises

05:52 Trust in parties and disillusionment among regretters

07:58 How regret influences voting intentions and party trust

09:51 The importance of everyday issues over cultural topics

12:01 Messaging strategies for Democrats and Republicans

13:54 Perceptions of party focus and voter priorities

15:50 The role of news consumption and information seeking

17:59 Future research plans and post-election follow-up

Recent weeks have seen an escalation of the Trumpadministration’s efforts to interfere with this fall’s elections. Itsaggressive efforts to restrict mail-in voting, for example, could potentially disenfranchise millions while sowing chaos in states.

President Trump has also threatened to arrest election officers accused of wrongdoing (many of whom are volunteers) andto send ICE agents to the polls.

The nonprofit Protect Democracy argues that all of theseactions are part of a larger scheme by the Trump administration to perpetuate election denialism, interfere with Americans’ right to vote, and thwart free and fair elections.

How can citizens be prepared when they go to the polls thisfall, and what they can do to protect themselves and others in their communities?

Host: Anne Kim, Washington Monthly

Guest: Beau Tremitiere, Protect Democracy

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to election threats and Protect Democracy

01:50 The three tactics: deception, disruption, denial

03:50 How the federal government is undermining election integrity

07:04 Civil society's response and mobilization

08:54 Legal challenges and court rulings protecting elections

11:09 The role of the Supreme Court and untested legal issues

15:05 Voter suppression and intimidation tactics

19:53 How to prepare and respond to election-related threats

23:08 Responsible recording and reporting of election issues

26:02 Resources and where to learn more