This week’s guest is USC Gould School of Law Vice Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs and Professor of Law Franita Tolson. She is an expert in election law, constitutional law, and employment discrimination. Our conversation starts with the historic nomination of California Senator Kamala Harris as the Vice Presidential candidate for the Democratic Party and then spins off to voting rights and the numerous structural issues that could impact the outcome of this election.

One of the things that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this year, partly because it’s an election year, is how strong an individual’s right to vote is, and what influences how strong that right is. We talked about how even rhetoric – calling or thinking of voting as a privilege like having a driver’s license – can impact that right. We discuss the other, more talked about, factors like your sex, race, income level, and where you live as well. We also touch on the pros and cons of state-run versus federally-run elections, voter ID laws, and what Professor Tolson’s thoughts are on making our elections more just, equitable, and accessible for all Americans.

You can listen to my conversation with Professor Tolson on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you like the episode, please take the time to subscribe to The CAP⋅impact Podcast on your favorite podcast app and leave us feedback in the form of a (hopefully) five-star review. You can follow Professor Franita Tolson on Twitter @ProfTolson, and you can read her scholarship and research on the topics we talked about today on SSRN or on Google Scholar.

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