Prompt Cast
The History and Controversy of Voting Methods in the United States
TLDR The "Throughline" podcast episode explores the evolution of voting in the United States, from voice voting to the current debates over mail-in voting and voting in person during the pandemic. It delves into the challenges faced, such as violence, corruption, and inequality, and highlights the need for reimagining the voting system in light of technological advancements and cultural shifts.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast episode titled "How We Vote" from "Throughline" explores the history and controversy surrounding voting methods in the United States, from voice voting to the current debates over mail-in voting and voting in person during the pandemic.
06:16
The second episode of "Throughline's" misrepresentative democracy series explores the history of voting in the United States, from public voice voting to the use of private booths and paper ballots, and how voting evolved over time to include only white men who owned property.
11:30
The framers of the Constitution were not concerned with ordinary voters, leaving the voting process up to the states, which led to a lack of uniformity and the emergence of political parties who used cheap printing to distribute party tickets, resulting in dangerous and violent voting experiences.
16:48
Violence and intimidation during elections, along with the corrupt party ticket system, led to the realization that votes could be sold for personal gain, highlighting the vast income and economic inequality of industrial America and raising questions about how to protect Americans on election day.
23:05
As the 1864 election approaches, the country is grappling with questions of race, government power, and the role of the army, with deep ideological and cultural divides between the democratic opposition and Lincoln's National Union party.
28:49
Most soldiers in the Union army leaned Republican and couldn't vote, so states began passing laws to give soldiers the right to vote through absentee voting or proxy voting.
34:17
The absentee voting and proxy voting systems implemented during the Civil War raised concerns about fraud and legitimacy, with both Democrats and Republicans accusing each other of malpractice, but ultimately the election of 1864 demonstrated the resilience of representative government in the United States during a time of civil war.
40:12
Lincoln's last speech before his assassination addressed the question of black suffrage, and the issue of voter fraud in the late 19th century led to the push for a secret ballot.
46:25
The Australian ballot, or secret ballot, was adopted in the late 19th century in order to disenfranchise the poor who couldn't read, even though it was supposedly a progressive reform to protect the working class.
51:37
The adoption of the Australian ballot disenfranchised black men and has hardly changed since, despite the need for a reimagining of the voting system due to technological advancements and cultural shifts.
57:43
The episode ends with a reminder to vote and includes ads for TIAA, Whole Foods Market, and the podcast Ripple.
Categories:
History
Society & Culture
