On the Ballot

Ballotpedia
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

On the Ballot with Ballotpedia connects people to politics by providing neutral, nonpartisan, and reliable information on our government, how it works, and where it’s headed. This year, we're hoping to learn more about what our audience and what topics you want us to tackle. Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Stream On the Ballot wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have any questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to send it to us at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on Twitter.

  1. 6d ago

    Mike Allen on Axios' New Book 'Simplify,' AI, and the Midterms

    On this episode: Axios co-founder Mike Allen joins Host Norm Leahy to talk about his new book, Simplify: Do 50% More with 50% Less, and why cutting through complexity matters more than ever in the age of AI. They also discuss data centers as a growing local political issue in Virginia and across the country, the three big shifts reshaping American technology, politics, and media, and why the days after the midterms could prove more eventful than election night itself.  Episode Highlights: (00:00) - Show Intro & Meet Mike Allen (02:49) - Simplify's Three Steps: Confront, Delete, Amplify (11:39) - The Politics of Data Centers (16:38) - What to Watch During the Midterms – and After (20:10) - Our Three ‘Tectonic’ Cultural Shifts (27:37) - The 10-Minute Rule Show Notes: Mike co-founded Axios with Jim VandeHei and Roy Schwartz (who are co-authors of Simplify) and writes its flagship newsletters, Axios AM and Axios PM. Before that, he co-founded Politico, where he created the Playbook newsletter and helped build the company through its first decade. He's also worked at TIME, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and two Virginia papers, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Learn more about and get a copy of Mike, Jim, and Roy's new book Simplify: Do 50% More with 50% Less  Subscribe to Axios' newsletters More from Ballotpedia:   Subscribe to Ballotpedia Founder & CEO Leslie Graves Substack Civic Blueprints Check out our complete Office Hours series Sign up for our Newsletters 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 ontheballot@ballotpedia.org 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.

  2. Sep 9

    America's 1st Recall Over Data Centers

    On this episode: A city council member in Independence, Missouri became the first elected official recalled over a data center deal. But the real story isn't just Missouri—it's the 41 other recall efforts underway nationwide. Leslie Graves and Norman Leahy dig into why recalls matter as a civic tool despite small numbers, what the data actually shows versus what headlines claim, and what November could bring as communities head to the polls 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 ontheballot@ballotpedia.org 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.

  3. Sep 1

    Why Local Elections Matter in America's Data Center Debate

    On this episode: AI infrastructure has become a political issue at the local level, with recalls, ballot measures, and state preemption emerging as tools communities use to weigh in on whether or not Data Centers should come to town. As the 2026 midterms approach in November, Leslie Graves, CEO of Ballotpedia, and host Norman Leahy explore why data center decisions fall primarily to city councils and county commissions rather than state or federal officials, what candidate surveys reveal about voter concern, and what to expect as communities head to the polls this fall. 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 ontheballot@ballotpedia.org 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.

  4. Jul 30

    Where's the Great American Novel?

    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 ontheballot@ballotpedia.org 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.

  5. Jul 3

    America at 250: Looking Back at How the Country Has Marked Its Biggest Birthdays

    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 ontheballot@ballotpedia.org 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.

  6. Jun 24

    Why State Constitutions Change MUCH More Frequently Than The Federal Constitution

    On this episode: The U.S. Constitution has been amended just 27 times in over 230 years. State constitutions, collectively, have been amended more than 7,000 times — and rewritten from scratch over 140 times. Ballotpedia founder and CEO Leslie Graves joins host Norman Leahy to explore why that gap exists, what gets embedded in state constitutions and why, and how states have effectively become the laboratories where Americans test out big policy changes. From California's Proposition 13 to the Article Five convention that's never happened, it's a conversation about how self-governance actually works in practice. 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 ontheballot@ballotpedia.org 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.

  7. May 27

    Election Administration: How It Works, How It's Changed, and Why It Matters

    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 ontheballot@ballotpedia.org 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.

  8. May 12

    Redistricting’s Long History and Rapidly Evolving Present

    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 ontheballot@ballotpedia.org 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.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

On the Ballot with Ballotpedia connects people to politics by providing neutral, nonpartisan, and reliable information on our government, how it works, and where it’s headed. This year, we're hoping to learn more about what our audience and what topics you want us to tackle. Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Stream On the Ballot wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have any questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to send it to us at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on Twitter.

Information

  • Creator
    Ballotpedia
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    253
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ballotpedia
  • Show Website
    On the Ballot

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