As we prepare for the 2026 midterms we need to talk about the power of the vote.

Voter suppression is nothing new, we talked about gerrymandering in a previous episode and this episode dives into polling locations, voter ID laws and voting machines.

If you experience voter suppression use this resource for reporting:

To find your representatives and for contact information use these links below.

• U.S. House of Representatives
• U.S. Senate

To listen to this episode ad free you can subscribe to the Patreon here.

If you would like to give feedback on this episode or if you would like to recommend an episode topic you can email me at mackenzieatkinson@thatspoliticspodcast.com.

Source:

What is voter suppression?

• Voter fraud, voter suppression, and other election crimes. (n.d.). USA.gov. https://www.usa.gov/voter-fraud. Accessed March 3, 2026.
• Understanding voter suppression in today’s election process. (n.d.). Southern Poverty Law Center. https://www.splcenter.org/learning-for-justice/understanding-voter-suppression-in-todays-election-process/. Accessed March 3, 2026.
• Voter suppression: Why it matters. (n.d.). The Brennan Center. https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/voting-elections/voter-suppression. Accessed March 3, 2026.
• What was Jim Crow. (n.d.). Ferris State University Jim Crow Museum. https://jimcrowmuseum.ferris.edu/what.htm. Accessed March 3, 2026.
• Early voting availability. (n.d.). Movement Advancement Project. https://www.lgbtmap.org/democracy-maps/early_voting_period. Accessed March 3, 2026.
• Disenfranchised. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disenfranchised. Accessed March 5, 2026.

Polling locations being moved:

• 11/05/2024 Official general election results – statewide. (2024). North Carolina State Board of Elections. https://er.ncsbe.gov/?election_dt=11/05/2024&county_id=0&office=COS&contest=0. Accessed March 3, 2026
• Stanley, H. (2026). State Board of Elections closes WCU’s early voting site. The Sylva Herald. https://www.thesylvaherald.com/top_stories/article_146b0597-d3f4-422e-888d-55a4df969abd.html. Accessed March 3, 2026.
• Vaillancourt, C. (2026). Jackson Board of Elections votes to close Western Carolina University early voting site. Smoky Mountain News. https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/40603-jackson-board-of-elections-vote-to-close-western-carolina-university-early-voting-site. Accessed Mach 3, 2026.
• Vaillancourt, C. (2026). WCU students march miles to vote after on-campus polling site closed. Smoky Mountain News. https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/40894-wcu-students-march-miles-to-vote-after-on-campus-polling-site-closure. Accessed March 3, 2026.
• Vaillancourt, C. (2026). State board rubber-stamps Jackson early voting plan. Smoky Mountain News. https://smokymountainnews.com/news/item/40755-state-board-rubber-stamps-jackson-early-voting-plan. Accessed March 3, 2026.
• State Auditor Boliek appoints chairs to county boards of elections. (2025). Office of the State Auditor. https://www.auditor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2025/06/24/state-auditor-boliek-appoints-chairs-county-boards-elections. Accessed March 3, 2026.
• Tisler, D., Pino, M., Park, J. (2024). Voting on campus. The Brennan Center. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-campus. Accessed March 3, 2026.

The SAVE Act:

• H.R.22 – SAVE Act summary. (2025). Congress. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/22. Accessed March 4, 2026.
• H.R.22 – SAVE Act full text. (2025). Congress. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/22/text. Accessed March 5, 2026.
• Trey, W., Weil, M., Lempert, J. (2026). Five things to know about the SAVE America Act. Bipartisan Policy Center. https://bipartisanpolicy.org/article/five-things-to-know-about-the-save-act/. Accessed March, 5, 2026.
• Passport fees. (n.d.). U.S. Department of State. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html. Accessed March 5, 2026.
• Garrett, L. (2026) Trump says he won’t sign bills until Congress overhauls voting. The Hill. https://www.npr.org/2026/03/08/g-s1-112917/trump-says-he-wont-sign-bills-until-congress-overhauls-voting. Accessed March 8, 2026.

Proposed Executive Order:

• Arnsdorf, I. (2026). Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/02/26/trump-elections-executive-order-activists/. Accessed March 5, 2026.
• Landers, L. (2026). Trump says he’s not mulling a draft executive order to seize control over elections. Here’s what we know. PBS News. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-hes-not-mulling-a-draft-executive-order-to-seize-control-over-elections-heres-what-we-know. Accessed March 5, 2026.
• Mueller, J. (2026). Trump says he’s not considering declaring a national emergency ahead of midterms. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5759186-trump-midterm-elections-national-emergency/. Accessed March 5, 2026.
• Green, E. L., Gold, M., Jimison, R. (2026). Trump repeats call to ‘nationalize’ elections, as White House walks it back. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/us/politics/trump-save-act-elections.html. Accessed March 5, 2026.