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.OverviewVote 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 PartPart 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.Vote Worthy Teacher Resource Guide is available here.
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.
