High Turnout Wide Margins

Latest Episodes:

S5E3 - The New (Open Source) Kid on the Block with VotingWork’s Ben Adida Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Brianna Lennon and Eric Fey speak with Ben Adida. He’s the co-founder and executive director of VotingWorks, a nonprofit organization that builds open-source voting equipment.

They spoke about what an open-source system actually is, some of the challenges of getting new voting machines through the certification process, and about the overall health of the voting equipment ecosystem.

This episode is part of a three-part series focused on election technology.

S5E2 - Turning Election Administration Experience into Technology Solutions with KNOWiNK and Liberty Vote’s Scott Leiendecker Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Brianna Lennon and Eric Fey speak with Scott Leiendecker. He’s the founder and CEO of KNOWiNK, an electronic poll pad system, and Liberty Vote, as well as a former Republican Elections Director for St. Louis City.

They spoke about how Leiendecker’s election administration experience influenced his decision to enter the election vendor space, how he’s working to combat mis- and disinformation about election technology and about what he hopes is next for the industry.

This episode is part of a three-part series focused on election technology.

S5E1 - A Reflection with former EAC Commissioner Tom Hicks Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Brianna Lennon and Eric Fey speak with Tom Hicks. Hicks was a U.S. Election Assistance Commission [EAC] commissioner from January 2015 until July 9, 2026 — when he was notified via email that his position was “terminated, effective immediately.”

They reflected on Hick’s tenure — some of the efforts he’s proudest of and what he wishes he had more time to do — and spoke about what the EAC is still capable of without commissioners and Hick’s hopes for the agency going forward.

You can read more about Hick’s time at the EAC at: https://www.eac.gov/about/commissioner-thomas-hicks

S4E26 — Brianna and Eric in the Hot Seat: The Kid Interview Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Brianna Lennon and Eric Fey interview their kids, then have the tables turned on them as the kids ask questions of the parents about elections and election administration.

They spoke about… lots of things really, but definitely NOT politics.

S4E25 – Tours & TikToks & Transparency, Oh My! Building Trust in Election Protections with Lauren Prather and Thad Kousser Apr 01, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Brianna Lennon and Eric Fey speak with Lauren Prather and Thad Kousser, the co-directors of the Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections based at the University of California-San Diego.

They spoke about some of the research they have done, which shows simple and effective ways for election administrators to connect with their constituents and grow trust in elections. This includes office tours, video office tours, simple and “authentic” social media videos and more.

S4E24 – Live from PLEJ with Carolina Lopez: “When Large Election Offices Succeed, So Does the Rest of the Country.” Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

Back in September, the High Turnout Wide Margins team traveled to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the 2025 Summer Convening of the Partnership for Large Jurisdictions, or PLEJ.

While there, hosts Eric Fey and Brianna Lennon had the opportunity to speak with election administrators from across the county and world. They also had the opportunity to take the stage for a special live taping with Carolina Lopez, the executive director of PLEJ.

They spoke about the history of PLEJ, as well as how it has grown and benefited election administrators across the county. They also brought several members on stage — Zach Manifold of Gwinnett County, Georgia, and Kurt Bahr of St. Charles County, Missouri — to share how PLEJ has supported them in their work and how they have given back to the organization.

S4E23 – Centralizing Public Records Requests in Washington State with Stuart Holmes and Chris Mann Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Eric Fey and Brianna Lennon speak with Christopher Mann, the Research Director at the Center for Election Innovation & Research, and Stuart Holmes, the Director of Elections for Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs.

They spoke about the centralized system for responding to public records requests that Washington state implemented in 2023, as well as how the system is helping combat misinformation and is returning some time to local election administrators who continue to receive an increased number of public records requests.

You can read the full case report from the Center for Election Innovation & Research at https://electioninnovation.org/research/centralizing-requests-in-washington-state/.

S4E22 – Exploring the Future of AI in Elections with Arizona State University’s Bill Gates Feb 04, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Eric Fey and Brianna Lennon speak with Bill Gates. He’s the director of Arizona State University Mechanics of Democracy Lab, as well as the former chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in Arizona.

They spoke about AI in elections — Both how generative AI tools could be responsibly used in election offices and how election officials might combat bad actors spreading mis- and disinformation through AI deep fakes.

You can learn more about the Mechanics of Democracy Lab at https://modl.spa.asu.edu/

S4E21 – Changes to New Mexico Election Laws with Bernalillo County’s Michelle Kavanaugh Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Eric Fey and Brianna Lennon speak with Michelle Kavanaugh, the Bernalillo County Clerk in New Mexico.

They spoke about some of the recent changes to New Mexican election law, which include automatic voter registration at the Motor Vehicle Division, semi-open primaries and the restoration of voting rights to citizens after incarceration — regardless of felony status.

S4E20 – Building Pillars of Election Trust with Ben Ginsberg and Bob Bauer Jan 07, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, hosts Eric Fey and Brianna Lennon speak with Ben Ginsberg and Bob Bauer. These two longtime and respected election experts launched a national effort called Pillars of the Community in 2024. This program aims to educate and answer questions from trusted community members who can then assist in the fight against election dis- and misinformation.

You can find out more about the program, as well as access community engagement tools for election administrators, at https://pillarsofthecommunity.org/.

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