Today on AirTalk, we talk about the latest news surrounding voting in Los Angeles County and the United States. Also on the show, we discuss ways to soothe election-related anxieties; break down election-related legal battles across the country; and more.
It’s The Final Day To Vote! We Get You The Latest From Our Reporters On The Ground
Although counties across the state, including L.A. County, have already recorded a staggering number of returned ballots, many voters will still be showing up in-person at the polls to vote today.
We’re taking you to voting centers across SoCal to hear more from our reporters about what voters are experiencing. Like most things in 2020, voting looks significantly different from years past. Iconic venues like Dodger Stadium, the Pantages, the Forum and the Hollywood Bowl are operating as vote centers, and poll workers will be cleaning equipment between voters and donning PPE to comply with social distancing guidelines. If you’re voting in-person today, we want to hear about what you’re seeing. Have you had to stand in line, or had a relatively breezy experience? Did you feel safe at the polls? What did the COVID-19 precautions look like?
We want to hear from you. Share with us by commenting below or giving us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guests:
Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State; he tweets
Sharon McNary, KPCC correspondent; she tweets
Jill Replogle, KPCC reporter; she tweets
Mariana Dale, KPCC reporter; she tweets
How To Deal With Election Stress And Challenging Political Conversations Today And Beyond
This year has been one for the books when it comes to stress and anxiety. A global pandemic, widespread racial justice protests and now one of the most divisive elections in our nation’s history. Tuesday is the last day to vote, with more than half of California’s registered voters casting their ballot early, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The nation is on edge as people wait to find out who will hold office within the next few months. It could also be several days or weeks until we know the results due to an increase in mail-in voting. That doesn’t mean the system is broken or corrupted, but it could mean extended worries and stress.
Today on AirTalk, we’re discussing how to manage election stress today and in the coming weeks, even months. We want to hear from you. Do you have specific plans for coping with your political anxiety? A calming bubble bath? A glass of wine? Exercise? Or do you have questions about how to destress? To join the conversation call us at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Tania Israel, professor of counseling psychology at the University of California Santa Barbara, author of “Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide,” (APA LifeTools, 2020); she tweets
The Legal Preparations That Trump, Biden’s Campaigns Are Making In Case Of A Contested Result, And How It All Could Play Out In Court
Signature matches. Late-arriving absentee votes. Drop boxes. Secrecy envelopes.
Democratic and Republican lawyers already have gone to court over these issues in the run-up to Tuesday's election. But the legal fights could take on new urgency, not to mention added vitriol, if a narrow margin in a battleground state is the difference between another four years for President Donald Trump or a Joe Biden administration. Both sides say they're ready, with thousands of lawyers on standby to march into court to make sure ballots get counted, or excluded. Since the 2000 presidential election, which was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court, both parties have enlisted legal teams to prepare for the unlikely event that voting wouldn't settle the contest. But this year, there is a near presumption that legal fights will ensue and that only a definitive outcome is likely to forestall them.
Most of the potential legal challenges are likely to stem from the huge increase in absentee balloting brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. In Pennsylvania, elections officials won't start processing those ballots until Election Day, and some counties have said they won't begin counting those votes until the following day. Mailed ballots that don’t come inside a secrecy envelope have to be discarded, under a state Supreme Court ruling.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll take a look at the legal preparations that both the Trump and Biden campaigns are taking in case of post-election challenges. If you have questions for our experts, join the live conversation by calling 866-893-5722.
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Alanna Durkin Richer, legal affairs reporter for The Associated Press; she tweets at
Richard L. Hasen, Chancellor’s Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine; he is the author of several books, his latest is “Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy” (Yale University Press, 2020); he tweets
What’s The Latest On Orange County Voting? We Speak With Registrar Neal Kelley
It’s Election Day, which means that Orange County voters who have not already cast their ballots will be lining up at one of the county’s 167 vote centers today.
As of Nov. 2, more than one million O.C. voters had already cast their ballots, which accounts for over half of registered voters in the county. Orange County’s Registrar of Voters had previously encouraged early voting in order to prevent congestion at the polls.
Like many voting operations in 2020, Orange County’s Registrar has had to significantly shift in response to the pandemic, primarily by anticipating and preparing for an influx of vote-by-mail ballots. The Registrar's office has also had to deal with controversies like California GOP’s unofficial ballot boxes (that were labeled “official”) which appeared in Santa Ana last month, as well as the cancellation of a pop-up Santa Ana voting location that was close to wildfire evacuation zones and emergency traffic.
How is voting in Orange County going? We’re speaking with the Registrar of Voters for Orange County, Neal Kelley. Do you have questions or comments? Leave them below or give us a call at 866-893-5722.
Guest:
Neal Kelley, Registrar of Voters for Orange County, California
Checking In On The Last Day Of Voting In Southern California
It’s the final day to cast your ballots, and our reporters are out in the field to see how vote centers are operating and how voters are feeling.
Plus, L.A. County’s Registrar Dean Logan holds a press conference to discuss how things are going today, as well as progress on mail-in ballot counting. We get the latest.
Guests:
Carla Javier, KPCC reporter; she’s been monitoring the 11am press conference from L.A. County Registrar Dean Logan; she tweets
Sharon McNary, KPCC correspondent; she tweets
Frank Stoltze, KPCC correspondent; he tweets