Georgia has been the epicenter for the national conversation about who gets to vote and how those votes are counted. In the last few years, many changes have been made through the courts and the court of public opinion. Now, the 2020 election will be the biggest test the state has seen. Georgia Public Broadcasting political reporter Stephen Fowler walks through the ins and outs of how voting works in Georgia, highlighting the good, the bad and the complicated.
Battleground: Ballot Box | 2020 election RICO update: a plea deal and courtroom appeals
LISTEN: Later this month, a courtroom in Atlanta is expected to host the first trial in the Georgia election interference case that includes former President Donald Trump and 18 others who advanced his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential race. But it’s possible that the defendants might take plea deals to avoid a lengthy trial.
10/12/2023 • 14 minutes, 56 seconds
Battleground: Ballot Box | The push to punish DA Fani Willis widens a Republican rift
LISTEN: Former President Donald Trump’s Georgia indictment has spurred varied responses from Republicans both inside and outside the state. This week, we look at how the indictments are deepening the Republican rift between Trump’s biggest supporters and the rest of the GOP.
9/19/2023 • 16 minutes, 6 seconds
19 defendants, two courthouses and a flurry of filings.
LISTEN: On this episode, we talk with Georgia State University law professor Anthony Michael Kreis about Mark Meadows’ federal court hearing and the slew of motions that mark the latest maneuverings within the election interference case.
9/6/2023 • 15 minutes, 38 seconds
Battleground: Ballot Box | Trump’s arresting hold on the GOP
LISTEN: On this special episode, we look at Donald Trump’s Georgia arrest — and his arresting hold over the GOP presidential primary.
8/29/2023 • 23 minutes, 38 seconds
Battleground: Ballot Box | Breaking down the Georgia indictments
LISTEN: After a years-long investigation, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has made her findings public. On this episode, we break down the state RICO charges brought against former President Donald Trump and his allies in Fulton County.
8/18/2023 • 30 minutes, 33 seconds
Why Trump's grand 2020 election plan now goes to a grand jury
On this episode, we go deeper into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of Georgia’s election and how prosecutors are likely to show those actions were tantamount to a criminal enterprise.
8/14/2023 • 24 minutes, 13 seconds
How false claims fanned post-election flames in Georgia
LISTEN: On this episode, we’ll start to untangle a complicated web of some of the Trump allies who may face charges here in Georgia in the coming days.
8/9/2023 • 27 minutes, 38 seconds
How Georgia's recent elections planted seeds for future conspiracies
LISTEN: On this episode, we’ll turn back the clock to understand how we got here and how Georgia’s election system came to be ground zero for election conspiracy.
8/7/2023 • 13 minutes, 54 seconds
New season of GPB’s ‘Battleground: Ballot Box’ to follow Georgia Trump election case
LISTEN: Nearly three years since a failed attempt to overturn Georgia’s presidential results, a grand jury in Atlanta will soon decide if former President Donald Trump and his allies will face criminal charges. GPB's "Battleground: Ballot Box" podcast returns to cover those likely indictments with new episodes starting Aug. 7, 2023.
7/31/2023 • 1 minute, 50 seconds
There is no such thing as an offseason in election administration
LISTEN: On today’s special episode, we take stock of the state of elections in Georgia roughly one year before the presidential race begins in earnest.
2/28/2023 • 12 minutes, 53 seconds
2023 sees Georgia on the rise in Washington
LISTEN: On this special episode, we travel to Washington, D.C., and speak with Georgia lawmakers who'll play an important role in Congress.
1/6/2023 • 21 minutes, 55 seconds
Battleground: Ballot Box | As midterms end, Georgia's political spotlight burns brighter than ever
LISTEN: On this final regular episode, we look at the 2022 midterm elections in Georgia and how they will influence the future of American politics.
12/15/2022 • 29 minutes, 17 seconds
Disruptions and disagreements dominate Georgia debates
On this week's episode, we look at what key general election debates tell us — or don’t — about Georgia’s top candidates.
10/19/2022 • 17 minutes, 56 seconds
The road to November runs through Southwest Georgia
LISTEN: On this week's episode, we take a deep dive into Georgia's 2nd Congressional District race and its potential effect on the midterm election.
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10/5/2022 • 24 minutes, 34 seconds
The positives and pitfalls of political polling in Georgia
LISTEN: On this week's episode, we look at the good, the bad and the statistically significant parts of polling Georgia's governor and U.S. Senate races.
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9/21/2022 • 16 minutes, 39 seconds
Georgia Democrats see an opening in 2022 midterm elections
LISTEN: On this week's episode, we visit the Democratic Party of Georgia's convention in Columbus to hear their vision for November and beyond.
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8/31/2022 • 17 minutes, 33 seconds
Why Georgia's economy is good/bad for Democrats/Republicans
LISTEN: On this week's episode, we look at how Georgia's top candidates are talking about local and national economic issues.
8/10/2022 • 20 minutes, 56 seconds
After Georgia Guidestones bombing, a community picks up the pieces
On this week's episode, we look at conspiracies surrounding Elberton's granite monument, the Georgia Guidestones, and how the community is reacting to their demolition.
7/21/2022 • 22 minutes, 5 seconds
Georgia reacts to the U.S. Supreme Court abortion decision
On this week's episode, we look at the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to undo precedent around abortion — upending Georgia politics in the process.
7/7/2022 • 11 minutes, 22 seconds
The path to understanding Jan. 6 runs through Georgia
On this week's episode, we look at Georgia’s role in understanding the leadup to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
6/23/2022 • 14 minutes, 1 second
On the high-stakes primary runoff debates for key Georgia elections
On this week's episode, we look at some of Georgia's primary runoff debates, from Democratic secretary of state to several Republican congressional races.
6/8/2022 • 13 minutes, 48 seconds
Kemp, Raffensperger prevail over Trump in Georgia Primary
On this week's episode, we dive into Georgia's primary races: who won, who lost and what it all means for November's election.
On this week's episode, we take a look at how abortion news and the 2020 election affected Atlanta Press Club primary debates.
5/4/2022 • 15 minutes, 19 seconds
How Georgia elections officials helped quash more voting law changes
On this week's episode, we look at how elections officials stepped up and helped stop the creation of unnecessary voting laws.
4/20/2022 • 15 minutes, 20 seconds
The dust settles on a controversial legislative session
On this week's episode, GPB public policy reporter Riley Bunch joins to discuss the final days of the 2022 legislative session.
4/13/2022 • 15 minutes, 47 seconds
Checking in with Georgia's 'election superheroes'
On this week's episode, we visit Georgia's elections official training conference for a temperature check ahead of the May 24 primary.
4/6/2022 • 13 minutes, 13 seconds
Trump rallies for chosen candidates in high-stakes Georgia primary
On this week's episode, we look at a recent Trump rally and how a pro-Trump slate of primary challengers could reshape Georgia politics.
3/30/2022 • 12 minutes, 46 seconds
Stacey Abrams is ready for a rematch (and Medicaid expansion)
On this week's episode, we continue coverage of the Georgia governor's race by following Democrat Stacey Abrams' campaign as she launches a "One Georgia" tour.
3/23/2022 • 14 minutes, 51 seconds
What survived Georgia lawmakers' internal Crossover Day deadline
On this week's episode, host Stephen Fowler and GPB public policy reporter Riley Bunch discuss major legislation approved before the close of the Georgia General Assembly's Crossover Day.
3/16/2022 • 13 minutes, 35 seconds
How to vote absentee by mail in Georgia under SB 202
On this week's episode, we walk through the steps to vote by mail in Georgia under the new voting law SB 202.
3/9/2022 • 12 minutes, 9 seconds
Can Gov. Brian Kemp convince conservatives Trump is wrong?
On this week's episode, we follow Gov. Brian Kemp on the campaign trail as the Republican seeks to fend off a Trump-backed primary challenge while looking ahead to a tightly-contested general election against Democrat Stacey Abrams.
2/23/2022 • 11 minutes, 46 seconds
Why Georgia elections boards are so important
On this week's episode, we dig into the importance of county elections boards and their role in Georgia's voting process.
2/16/2022 • 12 minutes, 48 seconds
The primary paradox of David Perdue's run for governor
On this week's episode, David Perdue lost his U.S. Senate race after baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election kept conservative voters home in 2021 runoffs. Now, his newest campaign is premised on validating the beliefs of those same people while convincing them that this time, it’s different.
2/9/2022 • 11 minutes, 54 seconds
The complicated story of Lincoln County's proposed poll closure
On this week's episode, we take a deeper look at a story reported with the Center for Public Integrity and NPR about what Lincoln County can tell us about the present — and future — of the fight for voting rights.
2/2/2022 • 13 minutes, 14 seconds
Looking at likely legislative plans in Georgia's election year session
On this week's episode, we dive into what to expect in Georgia's 2022 legislative session, from bold budget proposals to election-year hijinks.
1/26/2022 • 9 minutes, 27 seconds
Putting Biden's Georgia voting rights visit into context
On this week's episode, we look at President Joe Biden's visit to Georgia to call for federal voting rights and a historical look at congressional fights over civil and voting rights.
1/19/2022 • 11 minutes, 9 seconds
22 political storylines to watch in Georgia 2022
On this week's episode, we preview some of the biggest storylines, campaigns, bills and battles in Georgia to keep an eye on in 2022.
1/12/2022 • 11 minutes, 17 seconds
Battleground: Ballot Box: The year in Georgia partisan lawsuits
There have been a number of high-profile legal battles over legislation in Georgia recently, including laws on abortion restrictions and voting changes, and other complaints filed by Georgia political leaders over actions taken by the federal government. This week, GPB's Stephen Fowler talks lawsuits with GPB's public policy reporter Riley Bunch.
12/16/2021 • 11 minutes, 3 seconds
Why the Georgia governor's race is so chaotic
On this week's podcast, we look at Georgia's gubernatorial race and controversies surrounding former Sen. David Perdue's entry into the Republican primary.
12/8/2021 • 15 minutes, 52 seconds
A conversation with McDonough's new mayor
On this week's Battleground: Ballot Box, we interview Sandra Vincent, the mayor-elect of McDonough, and learn what the city's past and present can tell us about Georgia's future.
11/30/2021 • 13 minutes, 50 seconds
Georgia Republicans face an identity crisis at a bad time
On this week's episode, we look at the fault lines within the Republican Party in Georgia over how much of a role former President Donald Trump should play in the GOP's direction.
11/17/2021 • 17 minutes, 41 seconds
Mapping Georgia's future through redistricting
On this week's episode, we take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of redistricting in Georgia, which has grown by a million residents primarily in metro Atlanta.
11/10/2021 • 12 minutes
Battleground: Ballot Box - Season 2, Episode 1
The second season of Battleground: Ballot Box has launched with GPB's Stephen Fowler catching us up on the politics that have taken place over the last year.
