As the coronavirus crisis presents major challenges for voting this November, today’s episode looks backs at past elections during major crises in American history. How were they handled, what were their outcomes, and what are the lessons learned for election 2020? Kim Wehle, CBS News commentator and professor at the University of Baltimore Law School, and historian Jonathan White of Christopher Newport University explore key elections such as the Election of 1864 carried out in the throes of the Civil War, midterms conducted in the midst of the 1918 flu pandemic, and landmark presidential elections during World Wars I and II. They also consider how absentee voting and vote-by-mail has evolved over time, how voter fraud has been perceived throughout American history, and whether it presents a challenge for the upcoming election. President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen hosts.
FULL PODCAST
PARTICIPANTS
Jonathan White is associate professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University and is the author or editor of eight books, including Emancipation, the Union Army, and the Reelection of Abraham Lincoln which was just released in paperback. He serves on the Boards of Directors of the Abraham Lincoln Institute and the John L. Nau III Center for Civil War History at the University of Virginia.
Kim Wehle is a tenured Professor of Law at the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she teaches and writes on the constitution, separation of powers, and more. Professor Wehle is an On-Air and Off-Air Legal Expert, Analyst and Commentator for CBS News and a contributor to other media outlets. Her newest book is What You Need to Know About Voting--and Why.
Jeffrey Rosen is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization devoted to educating the public about the U.S. Constitution. Rosen is also professor of law at The George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.
This episode was engineered by Greg Scheckler and Jackie McDermott, and produced by Jackie McDermott. Research was provided by Jake La Fronz, Nicholas Mosvick, and Lana Ulrich.
Stay Connected and Learn More
Questions or comments about the show? Email us at [email protected].
Continue today’s conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr.
Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate, at bit.ly/constitutionweekly.
Please subscribe to We the People and Live at the National Constitution Center on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.
