Election administration continues to be one of the most compelling, challenging, and increasingly dangerous jobs at the federal, state, and local levels. A recent survey by the Brennan Center revealed that over a third of election officials have experienced threats, harassment, or abuse just for doing their jobs.

In the face of these fundamental challenges to our democracy and an environment that has increasingly been characterized by political polarization, how can we protect our elections and support our election officials?

To discuss these important issues, we’re joined by three special guests:

Natalie Adona: Natalia Adona is the county clerk, recorder-elect, and the former assistant clerk-recorder and registrar of voters for Nevada County, California.

Tonya Wichman: Tonya Wichman is the Director of the Defiance County Board of Elections, in Defiance, Ohio, and a certified elections and registration administrator.

Gabriella Cázares-Kelly: Gabriella Cázares-Kelly is the county recorder in Pima County, Arizona, where she made history in 2020 as the first Native American to be elected to a countywide seat.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

Support the show

This week, we’re continuing our coverage of the lead-up to November’s elections by looking at an institution that has become increasingly contentious over the past four years: the U.S. Supreme Court. The specter of the Court has loomed over these elections like never before—from former President Trump repeatedly taking credit for the overturning of Roe v. Wade and thanking the Justices he appointed for doing so, to the next president’s role in reshaping the Court. What role is the Court playing in this election cycle and how will this election cycle influence the next four years of Supreme Court rulings?

Helping us to sort through these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest,

Skye Perryman: Skye L. Perryman is President and CEO of Democracy Forward, a nonpartisan, national legal organization that promotes democracy and progress through litigation, regulatory engagement, policy education, and research. She previously served as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

Support the show

In the wake of Vice President Kamala Harris replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee, the role that women are playing in this election is clearer than ever. Now under two weeks out from election day, we’re aware that so much is at stake for the entire nation, and for women in particular.

This week, as we continue our coverage of the lead-up to the November elections, we’re exploring the role of women and gender in this election. What are we seeing in terms of the gender gap? How will abortion policies impact the outcome of the presidential election? And how are media narratives addressing all of these issues, and influencing voters?

Joining us to discuss these pressing issues is our very special guest:

Fatima Goss Graves. Fatima Goss Graves is president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, president of the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, and a co-founder of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

Support the show

This week, we’re bringing back a very good friend of ‘On the Issues’ to talk about a topic that will profoundly influence the outcome of this fall’s elections: voter suppression. As voters head to the polls, officials and activists on the ground in states like Georgia are sounding the alarm about rules and voting restrictions that could significantly impact peoples’ ability to vote. What are the biggest threats to voting rights today? How will voter suppression impact the outcome of the 2024 November elections, from down-ballot races to the presidential contest—and how can we fight back against it, before election day gets here?

Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest,

Prof. Anthony Michael Kreis is a professor of law and political science with Georgia State University. His research examines the relationship between social change and the law, focusing on the relationship between American political history and the development of law over time.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

Support the show

In this episode, we dive into a topic that’s more relevant than ever this election season: masculinity. White men are mobilizing to support Kamala Harris and we unpack why. Polls are showing a growing gender gap, this election season—with women favoring Harris, while men favor Trump—but is the polling accurate? If so, what can we learn from this? How have the election’s gender politics changed, in the wake of Vice President Kamala Harris running for president? How does Trump continue to influence American masculinities years after leaving political office—and how will masculinity influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election?

Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest,

Jackson Katz: Jackson Katz, Ph.D., is a regular Ms. contributor and creator of the 2020 documentary The Man Card: White Male Identity Politics from Nixon to Trump, which was just rereleased in a newly revised and updated version. He is also a member of the Young Men Research Initiative working group and founder of Men for Democracy.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

Support the show

On this week’s episode, we’re thinking about the return to school and Congress with Michigan Rep. Hilary Scholten. As we return to both, many things are top of mind: issues like gun safety, policies that benefit mothers and families, and much more are all things that matter at home, in schools, and in Congress. These are also major issues this election season. How can we ensure that our children and families aren’t just safe—but can thrive?

Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest,

Rep. Hilary Scholten: Congresswoman Hillary J. Scholten serves Michigan’s Third Congressional District. She began her career as a social worker, working with people affected by issues of housing and homelessness, and she is the first woman and mother ever to represent Michigan’s Third District in Congress.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

Support the show

Every year on On the Issues, we bring you a Supreme Court term in review with a live studio audience. This year, for the first time we’re bringing you one from Washington, DC—we’re going to discuss the most important rulings of the 2023-2024 term, unpacking issues from abortion rights to presidential immunity—while we prepare for what’s coming next as the Supreme Court begins its new term this week.

Joining us to discuss the term are some very special guests:

Mark Joseph Stern: Mark Joseph Stern is a senior writer at Slate.

Moira Donegan: Moira Donegan is a U.S. columnist at The Guardian.

Jamelle Bouie: Jamelle Bouie is an opinion columnist at The New York Times.

Madiba Dennie: Madiba Dennie is deputy editor and senior contributor of Balls and Strikes.

Chris Geidner: Chris Geidner is the founder of the Law Dork Substack and an MSNBC columnist.

Check out this episode’s landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.

Support the show

In this episode, we unpack the chaos of the Trump years. Breaking news took on new meaning during Donald Trump’s term in the White House—one that was quite different from prior presidential administrations. A ban on Muslims from entering the United States, known as the “Muslim Ban” quickly went into effect after his inauguration. The world saw the United States lock children in cages at the border and defend its policy to deny those children soap and toothpaste. The Trump years set in motion the end of Roe v. Wade, the dismantling of agency authority, the elimination of important environmental protections, and chaos regarding the pandemic. There was also the rise in domestic terrorist groups—white nationalist supremacist groups grew 55% during his term. After the now convicted former president's defeat in the 2020 presidential election, the “Stop The Steal” campaign took off—leading to more than sixty lawsuits challenging election results and the January 6th insurrection. Notably, he appointed more federal judges than any other president save George Washington—including three to the U.S. Supreme Court.

To unpack the Trump era, the civil and criminal lawsuits, and much more, Dr. Michele Goodwin is joined by very special guests: Webby Award winning #SistersInLaw podcasters Jill Wine Banks and Kimberly Atkins Stohr.

-Jill Wine-Banks served as one of the Watergate prosecutors, and is the author of The Watergate Girl. She was first female general counsel in the U.S. Army and first female Executive Director of the American Bar Association. She is also an MSNBC legal analyst.

-Kimberly Atkins Stohr is a senior opinion writer at The Boston Globe and a regular contributor to MSNBC. She served as the first Washington, D.C.-based news correspondent for WBUR and as the Boston Herald's Washington bureau chief.

Support the show