

The Voting Booth
AEI Podcasts
AEI’s John Fortier and EAC Commissioner Don Palmer pull back the curtain of the Voting Booth to reveal the inner workings of elections. They are joined by Secretaries of State, local election officials, scholars, and lawyers to examine the issues leading the 2024 elections.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 3, 2026 • 49min
What Can Elections Audits Learn from Audit Accounting? (with William Kresse)
Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by William Kresse, Associate Professor in the Accounting, Finance, MIS, and Economics Division of the College of Business at Governors State University.

Feb 24, 2026 • 41min
How Can Election Administrators More Efficiently Respond to FOIA Requests? (with Stuart Holmes and Christopher Mann)
Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Stuart Holmes, Director of Elections for Washington state, and Christopher Mann, Research Director at The Center for Election Innovation & Research.Show Notes:Innovation for Public Records: Centralizing Requests in Washington State

Feb 3, 2026 • 23min
Implementing the Help America Vote Act: A Firsthand Account (with Donald Palmer)
Co-host John Fortier interviews co-host Don Palmer on his experience implementing the Help America Vote Act, first as an attorney in the Department of Justice, then as the chief election official in Florida and Virginia, and finally as a commissioner on the United States Election Assistance Commission.The conversation originally took place at a conference marking the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore.

Dec 10, 2025 • 45min
An Inside Look at Bush v. Gore (with Michael A. Carvin)
Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Michael A. Carvin, retired partner at Jones Day.

Nov 4, 2025 • 56min
What Are the Legal Controversies in Elections Occurring in Fall 2025?
Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Justin Riemer, President and CEO of Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE).Show notes:RITE Newsletter

Oct 7, 2025 • 47min
Congress and Its Elections Under Threat (with Fmr. Rep. Rodney Davis)
Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Rodney Davis, former U.S. Representative for Illinois’ 13th district.

Sep 16, 2025 • 52min
Election Administration in All-Mail Voting States (with Paul Gronke)
Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Paul Gronke, Professor of Political Science at Reed College.

Sep 2, 2025 • 37min
Running Elections in a University Town (with Derek Bowens)
Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Derek Bowens, Director of Elections of the Durham County (NC) Board of Elections.

Aug 5, 2025 • 54min
What Is Mid-Decade Redistricting? (with Adam Kincaid)
Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Adam Kincaid, President and Executive Director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust.

Jul 15, 2025 • 1h 4min
Examining the 2024 Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS) Report (with Charles Stewart III)
Co-hosts John Fortier and Don Palmer are joined by Charles Stewart III, Kenan Sahin (1963) Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


