The Electorette Podcast

Kelly Hall on how lawmakers are quietly dismantling ballot initiatives—and how voters are fighting back.

Ballot measures have become one of the most powerful tools voters have to bypass politicians and pass policy directly—from raising the minimum wage to expanding Medicaid to protecting reproductive rights. But according to Kelly Hall of The Fairness Project, that power is under coordinated attack.

In this episode, Jen Taylor-Skinner talks with Hall about the organization’s new report, Direct Democracy Under Assault, and the accelerating effort to weaken the ballot initiative process across the country. They discuss how lawmakers are changing the rules to make ballot measures harder to qualify, harder to pass, and easier for politicians to manipulate after voters have already spoken.

They also explore why these attacks are not just procedural—they’re a warning sign. Rights are often lost gradually, through technical changes and bureaucratic barriers that seem small on their own but add up over time. If voting rights are eroded drip by drip, Hall argues, direct democracy can disappear the same way.

This is a conversation about ballot measures, yes—but also about power, representation, and what it means when politicians decide they no longer need to listen to voters.

READ THE REPORT: ATTACKS ON DIRECT DEMOCRACY DOUBLED IN 2025

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

00:00 — What ballot measures are and why they matter Kelly explains the ballot initiative process and why it has become such an important democratic tool in an era of political dysfunction.

04:15 — The Fairness Project’s new report: Direct Democracy Under Assault Kelly breaks down the report’s central finding: attacks on ballot measures are accelerating fast.

08:20 — The numbers behind the backlash Jen and Kelly discuss the scale of the legislative assault, including the dramatic rise in anti-ballot-measure bills.

09:30 — Why the backlash is happening now Kelly connects the attacks to recent ballot measure victories, especially on reproductive rights.

11:15 — Why this isn’t just about abortion The conversation widens to include wages, Medicaid, voting protections, gerrymandering, and other policies voters can pursue through ballot initiatives.

12:00 — Who is behind these attacks? Kelly draws an important distinction between Republican voters and a small group of extremist Republican lawmakers attacking direct democracy.

14:45 — What it means when politicians refuse to listen to voters Jen and Kelly discuss the deeper democratic crisis revealed by these efforts.

19:20 — What would a healthy balance look like? A discussion about how ballot measures and legislatures might work together in a better-functioning democracy.

22:10 — Why voters split their tickets but support progressive ballot measuresKelly talks through the complexity and nuance of how people vote.

26:20 — How rights erode “drip by drip”One of the most powerful parts of the conversation: how democratic rights are lost gradually, through cumulative procedural attacks.

28:50 — The Florida exampleKelly explains how Florida has become a case study in making ballot measures harder to use.

32:20 — The Missouri exampleA look at how politicians use delay tactics and bureaucratic obstruction to interfere with the process.

36:50 — Fighting back: ballot measures to protect ballot measuresKelly explains how some states are going on offense by using ballot initiatives to strengthen direct democracy itself.

39:20 — Can there be federal protection for ballot measures?A discussion about the limits of federal intervention and why this remains a state-level fight.

40:20 — What people can do right nowKelly shares where the front lines are and how listeners can support this work.

42:20 — Why this matters even if you don’t live in a ballot-measure state

The episode closes with a reminder that these fights affect all of us.
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In this episode of The Electorette, Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with Rebekah Caruthers, President and CEO of the Fair Elections Center, about growing concerns around voter intimidation and the potential role of federal agencies like ICE at or near polling places.

They discuss how proposed laws like the SAVE Act could change voter registration requirements, the broader strategy behind voter suppression efforts, and why some Americans are increasingly anxious about voting. Caruthers also puts this moment into historical perspective, reminding us that the fight over voting rights is not new—and that Americans have defended the ballot through some of the most difficult periods in the nation’s history.

Chapter Timestamps

00:00 — The State of American Democracy
Jen and Rebekah begin by taking the temperature of democracy in the United States, discussing how current political rhetoric and policy decisions are shaping the country’s democratic institutions.

02:30 — A Long History of Fighting for Voting Rights
Rebekah reflects on historical struggles for democracy, including the work of Ida B. Wells and the civil rights movement, and explains why understanding this history is essential to navigating today’s challenges.

06:00 — ICE, Voter Intimidation, and the Politics of Fear
The conversation turns to concerns about federal law enforcement being deployed near polling places and how intimidation—real or perceived—can discourage people from exercising their right to vote.

07:30 — The SAVE Act and New Voting Restrictions
Rebekah breaks down the SAVE Act and similar legislation, explaining how proof-of-citizenship requirements and stricter ID laws could make voter registration significantly harder for millions of Americans.

11:30 — Barriers to Registration and Voting Access
From criminal penalties for election workers to reduced early voting and limited ballot drop boxes, the discussion explores how multiple layers of policy changes can collectively restrict access to the ballot.

17:00 — What Voters Can Do Right Now
Rebekah offers practical advice for voters, including checking registration regularly, voting early when possible, and ensuring ballots are properly received and counted.

20:00 — Disinformation and Targeting Black Voters
The episode examines how misinformation campaigns often target Black communities and why voter suppression historically focuses on communities whose turnout can shift political outcomes.

24:00 — Elections in Times of Crisis
Rebekah puts current fears about voting into historical perspective, reminding listeners that the United States has successfully held elections through wars, national crises, and economic collapse.

27:00 — Hope, Resistance, and the Future of the Vote
The conversation closes with reflections on hope, civic participation, and why Americans continue to fight for their right to vote—even in difficult political moments.
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Democracy Is Not Passive: Chris Melody Fields Figueredo on Ballot Power in 2026

When we think about elections, we think about candidates. But some of the most consequential fights in 2026 won’t be about who’s on the ballot — they’ll be about what’s on it.

Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, Executive Director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, joins me to break down the 24 democracy-related ballot measures already approved for November — and the wave of defensive measures, voter suppression tactics, and anti-trans initiatives emerging across the country.

We discuss Missouri lawmakers overturning voter-approved minimum wage and paid leave, how supermajority thresholds weaken majority rule, and why ballot initiatives remain one of the most powerful tools for multiracial democracy — even in red states.

Democracy cannot be passive. And this year, it’s on the ballot.

From this Episode:

Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC)

BALLOT MEASURE HUB

LUCHA AZ —Living United for Change in Arizona is an organization led by changemakers fighting for social, racial, and economic transformation.

Missouri Jobs With Justice: A place for people who want to stop the wealthy few from mistreating and dividing us - and who want to start getting the dignity we deserve.

 Voices of Florida: Voices of Florida is a Florida-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit formerly known as Women's Voices of Southwest Florida Fund dedicated to defending reproductive freedoms and human rights, and empowering our communities through education, outreach and direct action.
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The Librarians: Censorship Comes for DemocracyInside the fight over books, schools, and power: A conversation with Kim Snyder, director of The Librarians

Award-winning filmmaker Kim Snyder joins The Electorette to discuss her latest documentary, The Librarians, which examines the nationwide rise in book bans and the political targeting of librarians.

The film follows librarians across the country as they navigate harassment, threats, and mounting political pressure—all while defending access to information in their communities. In this conversation, Snyder breaks down how these censorship efforts are organized, who benefits from them, and why they pose a serious threat to democratic institutions.

The Librarians premieres on February 9th on PBS.
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In this episode of The Electorette, host Jen Taylor-Skinner speaks with Suzanne Jimenez, Chief of Staff at SEIU-UHW, about the looming healthcare crisis facing California — and the ballot measure designed to stop it.

Their conversation begins with the fallout from the federal budget reconciliation bill (HR 1), which delivered historic tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans while triggering over $100 billion in healthcare cuts to California over the next several years. Jimenez explains how those cuts are already showing up across the state: rising insurance premiums, hospital layoffs, threats to Medi-Cal, nursing homes, community clinics, and serious risks to maternal care and children’s health.

From there, Jimenez lays out California’s proposed solution: a one-time emergency 5% tax on billionaires, affecting just over 200 individuals. The measure would generate more than $100 billion to stabilize the healthcare system, protect Medi-Cal, support K–14 education, and fund emergency food assistance. She breaks down how the tax works, why claims of billionaire flight are largely a distraction, and how healthcare workers themselves are leading this effort after elected leaders failed to offer a viable alternative.

The episode also explores why ballot initiatives have become one of the most effective tools for protecting public goods, how this proposal could serve as a model for other states facing similar cuts, and what Californians stand to lose if the measure does not pass.

This is a clear, urgent conversation about who pays when government priorities shift — and how voters can intervene when the safety net is at risk.

🔗 Learn more about the California Billionaire Tax Act:https://www.cabillionairetax.org/

🔗 See how healthcare workers are supporting the measure:https://www.seiu-uhw.org/ca-billionaire-tax-act/
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