America the Voiceless - podcast cover

America the Voiceless

The North Starwww.thenorthstar.com
All Americans have a voice, but too many Americans face roadblocks when it comes to casting their votes. People who are waiting to become naturalized citizens, people who are undocumented, people who were once incarcerated and so many others are forced to watch from the sidelines as their fellow Americans vote in the next election. The hosts of this podcast, journalists Maria Elena Perez and Nikki Rojas, speak to lawmakers, historians, non-profit leaders and everyday people to unpack the barriers many Americans have to overcome to make sure that their voices are heard during the voting process.

Episodes

12: Ep. 12 - Election Night

In the final episode, hosts Nikki Rojas and Maria Elena Perez will talk about the election results and circle back to the people/organizations that they interviewed to get their perspective on how the election went down.

Nov 05, 202030 minEp. 12

11: Ep. 11 - The Struggles Citizens Face Getting to The Polls

Maria Elena Perez and Nikki Rojas discuss how difficult it is for some individuals to get to the polls on election day, and what organizations are doing to help get them there so they can express their right to vote.

Oct 29, 202020 minEp. 11

4: Ep. 4 - Can Americans Who Are Currently or Formerly Incarcerated Vote?

Nikki Rojas and Maria Elena Perez dig into the roadblocks faced by Americans who navigate through the criminal justice system. Americans who have been incarcerated or are currently incarcerated often lose the right to vote and have difficulties regaining that right. We hear from Nicole Porter from The Sentencing Project, Dr. Jane Gubser from Cook County Jail and artist Natti from CunninLynguists.

Sep 10, 202021 minEp. 4

2: Ep. 2 - Republicans: The Party of Voter Suppression?

In the second part of a two-episode look at the nation’s two main political parties, Maria Elena Perez and Nikki Rojas discuss instances where the Republican Party has blatantly suppressed voters. We hear from New Georgia Project executive director Nse Ufot and Harvard Kennedy professor Thomas Patterson

Aug 27, 202020 minEp. 2

1: Ep. 1 - Are Democrats Really Trying to Maximize Voter Participation?

In the first part of a two-episode look at the nation’s two main political parties, Nikki Rojas and Maria Elena Perez speak to state Democrats and voting organization leaders about how well the Democratic Party is living up to its mission to “maximize voter participation for all Americans.” We hear from Colorado state Rep. Leslie Herod, Massachusetts state Sen. Becca Rausch, New Georgia Project executive director Nse Ufot and Center for Election Innovation & Research executive director David...

Aug 20, 202020 minEp. 1

America the Voiceless Preview Episode

Fun, short conversation with both hosts talking a bit about their first time voting experiences and how that inspired them to come up with this podcast. Preview AV’s first episode on the Democratic Party.

Aug 13, 20208 min