Electing a president is not the only high-stakes choice voters will make in November. In Ohio, citizens will vote on a constitutional amendment that would end gerrymandering. Voters in 10 states have the opportunity to amend their state constitutions to affirm or expand protections for abortion care. Three states will decide whether to remove language against same-sex marriage from their state constitutions.

All states but Delaware require voters to approve proposed amendments to state constitutions. Half of all states have a constitutional right to direct democracy, allowing citizens to place statutory or constitutional proposals on the ballot and pass them by popular vote. But some lawmakers and other elected officials are making a concerted effort to reduce citizens’ power to enact policy through ballot initiatives.

Listen to a recording of our experts panel’s virtual discussion on state ballots issues in the 2024 election and trends to watch out for.

Speakers:

• Amanda Becker, Washington Correspondent, The 19th; Author, You Must Stand Up: The Fight for Abortion Rights in Post-Dobbs America

• Alice Clapman, Senior Counsel, Brennan Center Democracy Program

• John Matsusaka, Charles F. Sexton Chair in American Enterprise, Professor of Finance and Business Economics, Executive Director of Initiative and Referendum Institute, USC Marshall School of Business

• Moderator: Alicia Bannon, Director, Brennan Center Judiciary Program; Editor in Chief, State Court Report

Produced in partnership with State Court Report. Recorded on October 29, 2024.

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Crime has long been a political wedge issue used to stoke anxiety and stir division, and this election cycle has been no different. Although the pandemic crime spike is receding, the politicians who fearmongered about crime in 2020 continue to call for harsher punishments and the repeal of reforms.

Law enforcement officials and other experts understand that public safety and fairness are not competing interests — they go hand in hand. Brennan Center research proves as much, and groups like Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime & Incarceration know it from experience. This group of current and former leaders of the law enforcement community, convened by the Brennan Center, draws on their expertise to advocate for a fairer criminal justice system and works to reduce incarceration while keeping communities safe.

Listen to a recording of our experts panel’s virtual discussion on the latest data on crime trends and the importance of focusing on facts rather than myths.

Speakers:

• Rosemary Nidiry, Senior Counsel, Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration, Brennan Center Justice Program

• Beth McCann, District Attorney, Denver, Colorado; Member, Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration

• Shon F. Barnes, Chief of Police, Madison, Wisconsin; Member, Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration

• Ames Grawert, Senior Counsel, Brennan Center Justice Program

• Moderator: Natalie Tennant, Former West Virginia Secretary of State

Produced in partnership with Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime & Incarceration, a project of the Brennan Center. It was recorded on October 17, 2024.

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A white supremacist of color seems like a contradiction. Yet recent years have brought to light unsettling examples, including an Afro-Latino leader of the Proud Boys and a Latino mass shooter with neo-Nazi sympathies. These men are among a small but growing number of Latinos in the United States who gravitate toward the far right and adopt radical views on race, Christian nationalism, and immigration.

In an eye-opening new book, Defectors, Emmy Award–winning journalist Paola Ramos uses interviews, historical context, and expert analysis to shatter the longtime understanding of Latinos as a political monolith and uncover a diversity of opinion that makes room for white nationalists and avowed racists.

Listen to a recording of our expert panel’s virtual discussion of this alarming trend.

Speakers:

• Paola Ramos, Author, Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America; MSNBC Contributor

• Michael German, Former Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Fellow, Brennan Center Liberty & National Security Program

• Eduardo Gamarra, Professor of Politics and International Relations, Florida International University

• Moderator: Mireya Navarro, Editor in Chief, Brennan en español

If you enjoy this program, please give us a boost by liking, subscribing, and sharing with your friends. If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, please give it a 5-star rating.

Recorded on October 10, 2024.

Check out Paola Ramos’s new book here: Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means for America (bookshop.org)

You can subscribe to Brennan en español’s Spanish-language newsletter here: https://go.brennancenter.org/suscribirse

Keep up with the Brennan Center’s work by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, The Briefing: https://go.brennancenter.org/briefing