On this episode: Norman Leahy sits down with Ballotpedia CEO and Founder Leslie Graves to explore how foundational literary works—like Don Quixote and The Seven Brothers—shape national character and culture. They examine why America, despite being born from enlightenment philosophy, has never produced a true, definitive national novel, and what that absence might say about how Americans understand themselves as people. 

• Read Leslie’s Column: ⁠https://ballotpedia.org/From_the_desk_of_Leslie_Graves⁠ 

• Check out our complete office hours series: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtP8LWIl9mMO2t_0SXnYhwMv6HHgIoL75⁠ 

• Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 

• Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates 

Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.

*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Ballotpedia founder and CEO Leslie Graves joins host Norman Leahy to look back at how the country has celebrated — and processed — its milestone birthdays. From the muted 50th anniversary in 1826, when both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same July 4th, to Philadelphia's sprawling 1876 centennial (where the refrigerator debuted and the Statue of Liberty's torch made its first public appearance), to the more conflicted bicentennial of 1976, each celebration has reflected where America thought it stood. Plus: Mel Brooks turns 100, Ballotpedia turns 19, and a Biden campaign postmortem that puts Ballotpedia in some unexpected company.Read Leslie’s Column: ⁠https://ballotpedia.org/From_the_desk_of_Leslie_Graves⁠ Check out our complete office hours series: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtP8LWIl9mMO2t_0SXnYhwMv6HHgIoL75⁠ Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Running an election is harder than it looks — and it's always been that way. Ballotpedia founder and CEO Leslie Graves joins host Norman Leahy to walk through how elections actually get administered, from the surprisingly murky process of figuring out which district you live in to the chaotic, largely improvised vote that determined whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free state or a slave state. Along the way, they explore the surprisingly recent history of the secret ballot, how party-printed ballots once made your vote visible to everyone around you, the origins of the ballot initiative process, and why states that have it are unlikely to ever give it up.

• Read Leslie’s Column: https://ballotpedia.org/From_the_desk_of_Leslie_Graves 

• Check out our complete office hours series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtP8LWIl9mMO2t_0SXnYhwMv6HHgIoL75 

• Are you running for office, or struggling to find information for a candidate? Send them our Candidate Connection Survey or take it yourself: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection 

• Looking to get involved? Learn more about volunteer opportunities with Ballotpedia here: https://ballotpedia.org/Support:Volunteer 

• Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 

• Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates 

Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.

*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Redistricting happens every decade — but lately it's been making news on a much shorter cycle. Ballotpedia's redistricting expert Nathan Maxwell joins host Norman Leahy to walk through how the process actually works, from reapportionment basics to the three main methods states use to draw their maps. Then they get into why redistricting keeps landing in court, what recent Supreme Court rulings like Louisiana v. Calais have changed, and what to watch as new maps take shape ahead of the 2026 midterms. Plus: the 1812 origin of gerrymandering, a pre-Constitution power play by Patrick Henry, and a 28-sided monstrosity from 1957 Alabama.

• Learn more about the redistricting battles taking place across the country ahead of the 2026 midterms: https://ballotpedia.org/Redistricting_ahead_of_the_2026_elections 

• Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 

• Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates 

Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.

*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole. 

On this episode: Leslie Graves attended her first village board meeting in Spring Green, Wisconsin — and came away surprised by what she found. Norman and Leslie talk through what local government actually looks like up close, from the AI note-taker logging minutes for the local weekly paper to the five residents watching on Zoom from home. They also get into voter turnout — using Virginia's redistricting special election and a surprising Democratic primary surge in San Antonio as touchstones — and close with a Mother's Day call for listeners to share stories about the women who first got them civically engaged.

Read Leslie’s Column: https://ballotpedia.org/From_the_desk_of_Leslie_Graves 

Check out our complete office hours series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtP8LWIl9mMO2t_0SXnYhwMv6HHgIoL75 

Are you running for office, or struggling to find information for a candidate? Send them our Candidate Connection Survey or take it yourself: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection 

Looking to get involved? Learn more about volunteer opportunities with Ballotpedia here: https://ballotpedia.org/Support:Volunteer 

Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 

Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates 

Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.

*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Ballotpedia CEO and Founder Leslie Graves joins host Norm Leahy to discuss self-governance at the local level and civic participation in local institutions such as school boards, city councils, and town meetings. They also discuss a recent example of local civic engagement in Festus, Missouri, where voters recalled all members of the city council following a vote related to a proposed data center.

Read Leslie’s Column: https://ballotpedia.org/From_the_desk_of_Leslie_Graves 

Check out our complete office hours series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtP8LWIl9mMO2t_0SXnYhwMv6HHgIoL75 

Are you running for office, or struggling to find information for a candidate? Send them our Candidate Connection Survey or take it yourself: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection 

Looking to get involved? Learn more about volunteer opportunities with Ballotpedia here: https://ballotpedia.org/Support:Volunteer 

Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 

Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates 

Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.

*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Ballotpedia CEO and co-founder Leslie Graves joins host Norm Leahy to talk redistricting — what's driving the wave of mid-decade map changes ahead of the 2026 midterms, and why the same line-drawing logic that shapes congressional races also determines which school your kids attend. They also get into the history of the gerrymander, the debate over independent redistricting commissions, and whether any of it is actually fair.

Read Leslie’s Column: https://ballotpedia.org/From_the_desk_of_Leslie_Graves 

Check out our complete office hours series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtP8LWIl9mMO2t_0SXnYhwMv6HHgIoL75 

Are you running for office, or struggling to find information for a candidate? Send them our Candidate Connection Survey or take it yourself: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection 

Looking to get involved? Learn more about volunteer opportunities with Ballotpedia here: https://ballotpedia.org/Support:Volunteer 

Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 

Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates 

Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.

*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: Primary season is officially underway in America, and Ballotpedia founder and CEO Leslie Graves joins host Norman Leahy to break down what the early 2026 results actually tell us. They dig into how primaries vary widely from state to state — open, closed, jungle, caucus, convention — and why that complexity can leave voters confused when they cross state lines. They also explore how off-cycle elections affect turnout, how an active redistricting cycle is reshaping the playing field ahead of November, and why local and down-ballot races may have more influence over everyday life than the marquee contests dominating the headlines.

• https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/02/20/introducing-a-new-ballotpedia-project-for-americas-250th-anniversary-the-blueprints-of-democracy/ 

• https://ballotpedia.org/America_250_Blueprints_of_Democracy 

• Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 

• Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates 

Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.

*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

On this episode: As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, Leslie Graves announces Ballotpedia’s new American 250 initiative and Substack, Civic Blueprints, a year-long project focused on the often-overlooked mechanics — the “plumbing” — that make American democracy function.

• https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/02/20/introducing-a-new-ballotpedia-project-for-americas-250th-anniversary-the-blueprints-of-democracy/ 

• https://ballotpedia.org/America_250_Blueprints_of_Democracy 

• Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 

• Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates 

Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.

*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.