New York City faces a consequential election. We look at the history of our local election laws. Plus, the mastermind behind new voting restrictions nationally.

Senior Reporter Arun Venugopal guest hosts and sits down with WNYC’s City Hall and Politics Reporter Brigid Bergin to discuss her reporting about voter turnout across New York City, the new ranked-choice voting system and how the history of the city’s political machines continue to impact the lives of New Yorkers today.

Then, Ari Berman, reporter at Mother Jones and author of Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, joins to talk about the coordinated attack on voting rights around the country and the forces that are determined to disenfranchise.

Election Day is Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 and polls will be open from 6:00am to 9:00pm. You can find your poll site, track absentee ballots and more at vote.nyc.

Companion listening for this episode:

Government: A Love-Hate Story (4/12/2021)How did Americans come to think so poorly of government? And how did Joe Biden come to be the first modern president who’s even tried to change our minds?

“It’s My Party” (8/24/2020)For our first LIVE episode we take calls and reflect on last week’s Democratic National Convention by exploring what it means to be a member in a party divided.

BONUS: Juneteenth, an Unfinished Business (6/26/2020)As the nation grapples with a reckoning, we pause to celebrate Juneteenth. Our holiday special, for Black liberation and the ongoing birth of the United States.

“The United States of Anxiety” airs live on Sunday evenings at 6pm ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts. To catch all the action, tune into the show on Sunday nights via the stream on WNYC.org/anxiety or tell your smart speakers to play WNYC.

We want to hear from you! Connect with us on Twitter @WNYC using the hashtag #USofAnxiety or email us at anxiety@wnyc.org.

Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.

Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

Why We Must Vote

Notes from America with Kai Wright