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We need people who have listened to Vote Worthy, part of the Why It Matters initiative to complete a survey about the programs. If you complete the survey, you will be entered into a drawing for a $100 VISA gift card to be drawn on 3/1/21. Complete survey here.
 
Overview
 
Vote Worthy is an informative podcast listening experience and high school study guide all wrapped into one. Produced by Kentucky Humanities in partnership with WEKU and supported by the “Why It Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation” initiative administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Vote Worthy aims to bring election issues into the discussions and exchanges of Americans of all races, creeds, ages, political beliefs, and interest levels.
 
Each part of Vote Worthy is centered on a particular set of election topics; whether pre-election related, pre-inauguration centralized, or concentrated on the democratic process moving forward. While the podcasts were previously produced and aired on public radio, they are timeless in that all issues focusing on the election of our officials and representatives can lead to an engaging conversation any time. We hope that the short segments you find here will encourage in-depth conversations, additional research, and an appreciation of America’s democratic process.
 
Vote Worthy by Part
 
Part 1: Pre-Election Podcast Segments (Originally aired in October, 2020)
Distinguished Election and Voting Scholar and Professor of Law at the University of Kentucky, Joshua A. Douglas, and Tom Martin, producer and host of Eastern Standard on WEKU are joined by Scott Lasley, Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at Western Kentucky University; Margie Charasika, President of the Louisville League of Women Voters; and Brian Clardy, Associate Professor of History at Murray State University.
 
In segment #1: Douglas and Dr. Lasley have an in-depth discussion about the Electoral College.
 

Vote Worthy Part 1 Segment 1 listen here

In segment #2: Douglas and Dr. Charasika discuss the 19th Amendment, racial issues, and voting rights.

 
In segment #3: Douglas and Professor Clardy converse about early voting, voter suppressions, ballot harvesting, and the ballot drop box.
 
 
Part 2: Pre-Inauguration Podcast (Originally aired in January 2021):
Distinguished Election and Voting Scholar and Professor of Law at the University of Kentucky, Joshua A. Douglas is joined by Renee Shaw, Public Affairs Managing Producer and Host for Kentucky Educational Television (KET) as distinguished guests from across the Commonwealth pose questions related to the 2020 election, protecting our democracy, redistricting, minority voting rights, and the Electoral College.
 
Questions from Karen Armstrong-Cummins, Soreyda Benedit-Begley, Charles Booker, Charles Boteler, Mac Brown, Aris Cedeño, Marylynn Collins, Clarence Glover, Silas House, Selena Sandefer Doss, Pantsuit Politics' Beth Stivers, Lyndon Pryor, Frank X Walker, and Richard Young are included in the 52-minute podcast. 
 
 
While the presidential administration in Washington, D.C., has been determined for the next four years, other local, state and federal elections will be taking place across the country at various intervals. Young voters may have questions about issues related to election process or desire to clarify their own views and opinions further. This Vote Worthy Teacher Resource Guide is meant to serve as a bridge between the Vote Worthy podcasts with social studies and civic lessons that are being taught in high school classrooms. With the assistance of the Kentucky Department of Education Social Studies Resource Coordinators, civics teachers in the Commonwealth, and talented education researchers, this study guide will complement what students are hearing via Vote Worthy and encourage them to stretch their minds, viewpoints, and understanding of the democratic society in which we live.
 
 

Joshua A. Douglas, Distinguished Election and Voting Scholar

All three podcast episodes includes Joshua A. Douglas, the Ashland, Inc.-Spears Distinguished Research Professor of Law, who teaches and researches election law and voting rights, civil procedure, constitutional law, and judicial decision making at the University of Kentucky College of Law. He is the author Vote for US: How to Take Back our Elections and Change the Future of Voting, a popular press book that provides hope and inspiration for a positive path forward on voting rights. His most recent legal scholarship focuses on the constitutional right to vote, with an emphasis on state constitutions, as well as various laws, rules, and judicial decisions impacting election administration. He has also written extensively on election law procedure. A sought-after commentator for local, regional and national news programming regarding all things voting and election in nature, Josh is frequently on both radio and television.
 
 

Renee Shaw, Public Affairs Managing Producer & Host, KET

Renee Shaw is managing producer of KET’s public affairs programming and content, currently serving as moderator of KET’s Kentucky Tonight, Connections, election coverage, Legislative Update and KET Forums. Since 2001, Shaw has been the producing force behind KET’s legislative coverage that has been recognized by the Kentucky Associated Press and the National Educational Telecommunications Association.
 
As an award-winning journalist, Renee has earned top awards from the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, earning two regional Emmy awards, and first place awards from the Kentucky Associated Press. She was inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2017. She has been honored by the AKA Beta Gamma Omega Chapter with a Coretta Scott King Spirit of Ivy Award; earned the state media award from the Kentucky Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2019; the Anthony Lewis Media Award from the KY Department of Public Advocacy for her work on criminal justice reform in 2014; and in 2015, she received the Green Dot Award for her coverage of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
 
In 2019, Shaw was recognized by The Kentucky Gazette as one of the 50 most notable women in Kentucky politics and government. In addition, Renee was awarded the Charles W. Anderson Laureate Award by the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet that recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions in addressing socio-economic issues.
 
A former adjunct media writing professor at Georgetown College, Renee traveled to Cambodia in 2003 to help train emerging journalists on reporting on critical health issues as part of an exchange program at Western Kentucky University. And, she has enterprised stories for national media outlets, the PBS NewsHour and Public News Service.
 

Tom Martin, Producer and Moderator

Tom Martin is nationally-recognized producer and host of Eastern Standard on WEKU, a weekly radio magazine focused on current affairs and the lives and times of the people of the Central Appalachian Region. Martin, a Morehead native, has served as news anchor for KQV Radio in Pittsburgh, a Peabody Award-winning anchor and documentarian at AP Radio Network News in Washington, D.C., as well as a news anchor for the RKO Radio Network, ABC Network News and WABC News in New York. Tom also served for five years as vacation substitute for commentator Paul Harvey.