Not even a foreign army's presence on American soil or a devastating civil war has delayed or canceled a federal general election. And for more than a century and a half, it has been a crime to deploy armed agents to the polls. The Unstoppable Vote is a documentary podcast from The Center for Election Innovation & Research about a nearly invisible part of American democracy: the resilience of elections and the people who run them in the face of disaster. When elections run smoothly, as they almost always do, it doesn't mean nothing went wrong. It means trained professionals prepared, adapted, and performed despite the disruptions that inevitably occur. Learn more at electioninnovation.org. Credits The Unstoppable Vote was produced in association with the Center for Election Innovation & Research. The idea for the series originated with CEIR Research Director Chris Mann, who also edited the script and provided project oversight. The series was written and produced by Dale McGowan. Interviews were conducted by Joanie Greve, Maddy Meekins, Tim Dwyer, Chris Mann, Kyle Yoder, Dale McGowan, and David Becker. Promotion by Joanie Greve, Tim Dwyer, Karla Cortes, and Maddy Meekins. Graphics support by Maddy Meekins. Music provided by Blue Dot Sessions. Hosted and narrated by Kyle Yoder, Associate Research Director for CEIR. Media sources Leavitt press briefing, Feb 5, 2026, via White House briefing archive. Mullin Senate confirmation hearing, March 18, 2026, via PBS NewsHour Noem Senate testimony, March 3, 2026, via PBS NewsHour Pres. Trump prime-time address to the nation, Dec 17, 2025, via C-SPAN Pres. Trump remarks during July 16, 2025 signing of the HALT Fentanyl Act, via PBS retrospective on immigration crackdown (Jan 22, 2026) Pres. Trump remarks to military leaders at Quantico, Sep 30, 2025, via C-SPAN Steven Miller on "plenary authority," Oct 8, 2025, via CNN Gen. Nordhaus Senate testimony, Apr 17, 2026, via C-SPAN Gen. Guillot Senate testimony, Mar 19, 2026, via C-SPAN Gen. McMaster testimony, Jul 21, 2026, via Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi Additional resources Organizations and resources dedicated to election resilience: Partnership for Elections & Emergency Response (PEER) A national partnership connecting election officials and emergency managers to plan, coordinate, and respond as one — so voting continues through all hazards.Karen Brinson Bell founded and leads PEER to connect elections and emergency management before the next crisis lands. She draws on her experience as North Carolina’s former state elections director, including the response to Hurricane Helene. Ready for Tuesday, “Ready for Resilience” Helps election offices and the partners who support them plan for, assess, and exercise readiness and resilience — building the capacity to perform under pressure when it matters most.A resiliency plan is only useful if the pieces are actually in place before an incident. This self-assessment walks the components of a complete election resiliency plan and asks one question of each: “Do you have it?” The Elections Group, “Five Steps to Stronger Emergency Management Partnerships for Election Officials” The Elections Group supports the elections community as they plan, operate and improve election administration.This five-step outline walks through how election officials and emergency management partners can work together to build trust, strengthen preparedness, and ensure continuity under any conditions. Center for Tech and Civic Life, “Fostering Resilient Elections: Opportunities for Stronger Election Administration and Emergency Management Collaboration” CTCL is a team of civic technologists, trainers, researchers, election administration and data experts working to foster a more informed and engaged democracy, and helping to modernize U.S. elections.This nonpartisan report examines how election officials and emergency managers can deepen mutual understanding and foster proactive engagement to strengthen preparedness, resilience, and response ahead of future emergencies. It draws on extensive consultations with dozens of election officials and emergency managers conducted from March to July 2025 to provide practical action steps for both election officials and emergency managers. Committee for Safe and Secure Elections (CSSE) CSSE features cross‑partisan experts in election administration and law enforcement who aim to support policies and practices that protect election workers and voters from violence, threats, and intimidation. The Committee also works to build relationships and trust between election officials and law enforcement to better equip both to prevent and respond to threats and violence against voters and election workers.CSSE’s resources provide information on how election administrators and law enforcement can work together to strengthen our elections. “Bomb Threats and Hoaxes: Mitigating Election Disruption” To minimize potential disruptions in future elections, law enforcement and election officials should be aware of recent election-related bomb threat trends. This framework can help law enforcement and election officials jointly plan for continued safe and secure elections.
