[Swamp Stories] 41. Zuckerbucks

07/01/22 • 16 min

The 2020 election season, while carried out successfully by dedicated election officials and poll workers, exposed one glaring problem with the U.S. system of elections: it is chronically underfunded.

Though Congress allocated $400 million for election assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was far short of what experts and election administrators said was needed to pull off an election in a pandemic. Private philanthropy, from folks like Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, stepped in to help fill the gap. These investments didn’t come without scrutiny.

In episode 41, Weston speaks with members of the nonprofits that distributed grants to election departments around the country in both red and blue states to set the record straight about the role private philanthropy played in the 2020 election, and the need for increased federal investment in our nation’s election infrastructure.

Guests:

Tiana Epps-Johnson, CEO of the Center for Tech and Civic Life
Sam Oliker-Friedland, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsive Government

The episode also features interviews Issue One conducted with Republican election officials, including:

Bill Gates, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for Maricopa County, AZ
Neal Kelley, Former Registrar of Voters for Orange County, CA
Carly Koppes, Clerk and Recorder for Weld County, CO
Shane Schoeller, Clerk for Greene County, MO

Guests:

Tiana Epps-Johnson, CEO of the Center for Tech and Civic Life
Sam Oliker-Friedland, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsive Government

The episode also features interviews Issue One conducted with Republican election officials, including:

Bill Gates, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for Maricopa County, AZ
Neal Kelley, Former Registrar of Voters for Orange County, CA
Carly Koppes, Clerk and Recorder for Weld County, CO
Shane Schoeller, Clerk for Greene County, MO

Previous Episode

[Swamp Stories] January 6th Committee Hearing Debrief with Former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt

Over the next few weeks, the bipartisan House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol is holding a series of historic hearings to shed light on the events leading up to and on January 6, 2021.

During the hearings, we are hosting a special series of “Swamp Stories” to bring listeners in-depth analysis by some of the country’s leading political experts on what we are learning and how the country is reacting.

In the third episode of the series, host Weston Wamp talks with former Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt, who testified before the January 6th Committee during its third hearing.

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[Swamp Stories] 42. A Roundtable with the Faces of Democracy

Election officials and poll workers are our friends, family, and neighbors. They are dedicated workers who manage a vital part of our democratic infrastructure.

But because of a massive election disinformation campaign led by former President Trump and his allies, they have become the target of threats, intimidation, and harassment — adding to their already challenging job.

“Swamp Stories” host Weston Wamp sat down with a few of the election workers — local election officials and a poll worker from both parties — participating in our Faces of Democracy campaign to discuss building trust in our election processes, protecting elections workers from threats and harassment, and much more.

Issue One launched Faces of Democracy to amplify the voices of election workers. The campaign aims to educate the public about how our elections work, as well as advocate for the necessary improvements to our elections — like regular and sufficient funding from Congress for state and local election administration, and increased protections for election workers and their families from violent threats.

Learn more about our Faces of Democracy campaign.