Episode description

Emily Tamkin presents Battle for the Soul of America, a three-part series from the World Review podcast that looks at Joe Biden’s first year in office. How have some of his core campaign pledges – on foreign policy, immigration and voting rights – held up? 

In our final episode, we look at the state of voting rights under Joe Biden. Just over a year ago, on 6 January 2021, supporters of Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in Washington, DC. They believed what Trump said: the presidential election was stolen, not lost to Biden. Since the attack, unsubstantiated assertions of voter fraud have sparked a Republican movement to restrict voting access. While Biden has denounced this attack on democracy, voting rights activists are critical of his lack of action. Is it too late to save American democracy? 

Emily Tamkin is joined by Dr Keisha Blain, associate professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh, and Brandon Tensley, a national political writer at CNN who heads the Race Deconstructed newsletter. Then she speaks to Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at democracy watchdog Common Cause, about anti-democratic trends under the Biden administration and what can be done to reverse them. 

Further Reading: 

Emily on why the 6 January attacks never ended. 

Emily reports on the four-pronged attack on American democracy. 

Emily on why Joe Biden’s failure on voting rights could cost the Democrats the White House.

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