elections

The National Road: Dispatches From a Changing America, by Tom Zoellner

'The National Road' Takes Readers On A Trip Through Americana

1:54pm October 14, 2020

by Martha Anne Toll

Teacher and writer Tom Zoellner has logged tens of thousands of miles zigzagging the continent with, a small tent and backpack, investigating American places and themes — metaphors for our country.

Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Dick Durbin questioned Judge Amy Coney Barrett on voting rights during Wednesday's confirmation hearing.

Politics & Government

Voting Is An 'Individual Right,' Barrett Testifies, But Critics Remain Leery

11:54am October 14, 2020

by Philip Ewing

The Supreme Court nominee discussed voting laws, rights and practices with her Democratic questioners on her third day of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

An employee of the Philadelphia City Commissioners Office examines ballot envelopes at a satellite election office at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. Local election clerks can't start verifying mailed-in ballots in Pennsylvania until Election Day a

Politics & Government

In Swing States, Officials Struggle To Process Ballots Early Due To Strict Local Laws

11:04am October 14, 2020

by Miles Parks

Most of the country lets election officials do the arduous process of opening and sorting absentee ballots long before Election Day. In Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, they have to wait.

"I voted" stickers at the Arlington Art Center in Arlington, Virginia. Several prominent Virginians including Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax are calling for an extension to the voter registration deadline.

Virginia Voter Registration Site Experiences Outage On Final Day To Register

9:36pm October 13, 2020

by Brakkton Booker

Virginia election officials said the problem, which was caused by a severed fiber optic line, was fixed after nearly six hours. Several politicians called for the deadline to be extend.

Supporters of President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wave flags prior to Biden's arrival for a town hall in Miami.

Politics & Government

Presidential Campaign TV Ad Spending Crosses $1 Billion Mark In Key States

9:26pm October 13, 2020

by Domenico Montanaro

Almost $900 million of that money has been spent in just six states — Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Arizona. Biden has a big spending advantage in those states.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks about his vision for older Americans Tuesday in Pembroke Pines, Fla. President Trump won the senior vote four years ago.

Politics & Government

Biden And Trump Key In On Seniors In Campaign's Final Weeks

5:29pm October 13, 2020

by Barbara Sprunt

Seniors are a reliable voting bloc and have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Ohio Blue Collar Voters Express Uncertainty On The Election

5:19pm October 13, 2020

by Tamara Keith

The shutdown of an auto plant in northeast Ohio in 2019 looms large in the presidential race. Ohio is a state that Trump won easily in 2016, but it is in toss-up territory now.

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California GOP On Party's Refusal To Remove Illegal Ballot Drop Boxes

3:51pm October 13, 2020

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Hector Barajas, spokesman for the California Republican Party, about why the party won't comply with orders to remove unofficial ballot drop boxes around the state.

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North Carolina Lawmakers Split On Absentee Ballot Rules After 2018 Election Scandal

3:51pm October 13, 2020

by Steve Harrison

With hundreds of thousands of North Carolina absentee ballots in the mail, Democrats and Republicans there are still fighting over the rules on how to fill out and when to submit those ballots.

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NPR's Elise Hu and StoryCorps' Dave Isay on stage in Birmingham, AL

Courageous Conversations Across a Growing Divide: One Small Step

3:26pm October 13, 2020

In a time of polarization and political division, NPR and StoryCorps explore whether simple but courageous acts — talking and listening — can be a countervailing force to national discord.