Eastern Standard

On Episode 15 of the Eastern Standard special series, Democracy Optimist:

Are American elections secure? Could the voting machines be hacked? Could another country interfere? And what are we doing to prevent cyberattacks on the election system—and to convince the American public that our elections are, in fact, secure? Host Josh Douglas raises these questions and more with Kim Wyman, the former Washington Secretary of State, former Senior Election Security Advisor for the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and current Senior Advisor for the Elections Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

It’s often been said that election officials were the heroes of the 2020 election. Facing unprecedented attacks on the election system and a global pandemic, they managed to pull off an impressive feat: a secure election with the most voters ever. Election officials are a vital part of the administration of voting. It’s a year-round job as they prepare for upcoming elections, audit previous ones, and make sure everything goes smoothly. We're joined by Jennifer Morrell, a former election official and now CEO and Co-Founder of The Elections Group, an organization that helps to support election officials, offering resources and support to better professionalize the role.

We explore the immigration experiences of Lexington’s Swahili-speaking community — after English and Spanish, the African-based language is the 3rd-most-spoken in Fayette County. Our guest: Elisha Mutayongwa, Exec. Director of the Marafiki Center.

Pharmacist Brad Little discusses why he opened the first drugstore in the Floyd County community of Wayland, Kentucky.

And, when we dig deep into the matter of the political polarization that is dividing us as a nation and as neighbors, what do we find? That’s Carolyn Dupont’s focus in this latest episode of our series: You’re Polarized, I’m Polarized: The Way to a Shared American Future.”

Many ask why we use the Electoral College to elect the president. It might seem arcane in today’s world. Many say it’s unfair and that we should use a national popular vote. Joining us to explain the history of the Electoral College is Carolyn Dupont, an Associate Professor of History at Eastern Kentucky University and author of Distorting Democracy: The Forgotten History of the Electoral College—and Why It Matters Today.

Also in this episode: the traditional view is that blue states are making it easier to vote and red states are making it harder. But shouldn’t the ideal be truly bipartisan voting rules? And how do we ensure that election professionals are in the room to help make these decisions? Here to discuss these issues is Trey Greyson, former Kentucky Secretary of State and now leader of the Lobbying and Public Policy practice group at the law firm, Frost Brown Todd.

It is arguably the most sensitive social issue as the November 5 General Election nears: abortion and women's reproductive rights. Featured on this week’s edition of Eastern Standard: Laura Daley explores the history of the American anti-abortion movement with University of Oklahoma history professor Jennifer Holland. Carolyn Dupont hosts a conversation between two women from a Jessamine County congregation who hold opposing views on abortion. And John McGary reports on the scarcity of Ob-Gyn services in rural Kentucky.

From strict voter ID laws that don’t recognize tribal IDs, to limits on allowing others to deliver their ballots, many Native Americans face voter suppression. Our guest is Jean Schroedel, author of Voting in Indian Country: The View from the Trenches.

You may be aware of the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, but did you know that some states have Voting Rights Acts of their own? Seven states have these laws on their books. Find out which ones from Lata Nott, Senior Legal Counsel at the Campaign Legal Center.

Lexington’s Tom Hammond, a legend in network sportscasting, has co-authored a memoir with another legend: Herald-Leader sports writer Mark Story. Hammond and Story sit down with Tom Eblen. Yet another Kentucky sports legend is Gerald Smith’s guest: Derrick Ramsey, the first African American starting quarterback in UK history, who went on to hold leadership roles in Kentucky state government. You’ll hear how Kentucky’s oldest Children’s Theater has emerged from the pandemic. And we sample the music of Xiomara Laggard and Axel Tosca, a Cuban American mother-son duo coming soon to Lexington.

Elaine Kamarck, a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, and Director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution. Dr. Kamarck is the author of “Primary Politics: Everything You Need to Know about How America Nominates Its Presidential Candidates” and “Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again.” Also in this episode, Josh talks with Rob Richie, co-founder of FairVote, a nonpartisan organization that has promoted Ranked Choice Voting.

Beth Polin explores the challenges to breastfeeding while holding down a job with EKU Economics Professor Cynthia Harter. We look into the physical effects of anger and grievance, and hear about a podcast series on the return of meth. Plus, conversations with Brooke Raby about her new role as executive director of the Lexington Philharmonic, and a chat with Courtney Couch about her experiences as a first generation college grad from Eastern Kentucky.

Featured on Episode 11 of the Eastern Standard election year series "Democracy Optimist": Jeff Clements, head of American Promise, a grassroots advocacy group promoting a constitutional amendment that would, quote, “tackle the out-of-control money in our campaigns and elections” and overturn the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United; and, Jamie Long, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives in Minnesota and an expert on the mechanics of elections.

With this edition, we begin looking into concerns about cuts in public school arts programs. Our guests: EKU Art Education professor Ilona Szekely; Erin Batkiewicz is co-founder of the non-profit “Creative Kids Music and Art Program''; Lexington guitar instructor David McLean who offered free summer lessons to public school music students; Alberta Labrillazo, the SCAPA theatre instructor whose students nominated her for an Tony Award. And Louisville entrepreneur, developer, and film producer Gill Holland on his plans to renovate and revive a vintage hotel in downtown Harlan.