On the Ballot

On the Ballot with Ballotpedia connects people to politics by providing neutral, nonpartisan, and reliable information on our government, how it works, and where it’s headed. This year, we're hoping to learn more about what our audience and what topics you want us to tackle. Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6Stream On the Ballot wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have any questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to send it to us at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on Twitter.

On the Ballot is a news podcast hosted by Ballotpedia, with 252 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Ballotpedia hosts On the Ballot, a news show with 252 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #252

  Mike Allen on Axios' New Book 'Simplify,' AI, and the Midterms

  Sep 29, 202631 min

  On this episode: Axios co-founder Mike Allen joins Host Norm Leahy to talk about his new book, Simplify: Do 50% More with 50% Less , and why cutting through complexity matters more than ever in the age of AI. They also discuss data centers as a growing local political issue in Virginia and across the country, the three big shifts reshaping American technology, politics, and media, and why the days after the midterms could prove more eventful than election night itself. Episode Highlights: (00:00) - Show Intro & Meet Mike Allen (02:49) - Simplify's Three Steps: Confront, Delete, Amplify (11:39) - The Politics of Data Centers (16:38) - What to Watch During the Midterms – and After (20:10) - Our Three ‘Tectonic’ Cultural Shifts (27:37) - The 10-Minute Rule Show Notes: Mike co-founded Axios with Jim VandeHei and Roy Schwartz (who are co-authors of Simplify ) and writes its flagship newsletters, Axios AM and Axios PM. Before that, he co-founded Politico, where he created the Playbook newsletter and helped build the company through its first decade. He's also worked at TIME, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and two Virginia papers, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Learn more about and get a copy of Mike, Jim, and Roy's new book Simplify: Do 50% More with 50% Less Subscribe to Axios' newsletters More from Ballotpedia: Subscribe to Ballotpedia Founder & CEO Leslie Graves Substack Civic Blueprints Check out our complete Office Hours series Sign up for our Newsletters Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #251

  America's 1st Recall Over Data Centers

  Sep 9, 202621 min

  On this episode: A city council member in Independence, Missouri became the first elected official recalled over a data center deal. But the real story isn't just Missouri—it's the 41 other recall efforts underway nationwide. Leslie Graves and Norman Leahy dig into why recalls matter as a civic tool despite small numbers, what the data actually shows versus what headlines claim, and what November could bring as communities head to the polls Read Leslie’s Column: ⁠https://ballotpedia.org/From_the_desk_of_Leslie_Graves⁠ Check out our complete office hours series: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtP8LWIl9mMO2t_0SXnYhwMv6HHgIoL75⁠ Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  On the Ballot

  Where's the Great American Novel?

  Jul 30, 202622 min

  On this episode: Norman Leahy sits down with Ballotpedia CEO and Founder Leslie Graves to explore how foundational literary works—like Don Quixote and The Seven Brothers —shape national character and culture. They examine why America, despite being born from enlightenment philosophy, has never produced a true, definitive national novel, and what that absence might say about how Americans understand themselves as people. Read Leslie’s Column: ⁠https://ballotpedia.org/From_the_desk_of_Leslie_Graves⁠ Check out our complete office hours series: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtP8LWIl9mMO2t_0SXnYhwMv6HHgIoL75⁠ Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  On the Ballot

  America at 250: Looking Back at How the Country Has Marked Its Biggest Birthdays

  Jul 3, 202620 min

  On this episode: Ballotpedia founder and CEO Leslie Graves joins host Norman Leahy to look back at how the country has celebrated — and processed — its milestone birthdays. From the muted 50th anniversary in 1826, when both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same July 4th, to Philadelphia's sprawling 1876 centennial (where the refrigerator debuted and the Statue of Liberty's torch made its first public appearance), to the more conflicted bicentennial of 1976, each celebration has reflected where America thought it stood. Plus: Mel Brooks turns 100, Ballotpedia turns 19, and a Biden campaign postmortem that puts Ballotpedia in some unexpected company.Read Leslie’s Column: ⁠https://ballotpedia.org/From_the_desk_of_Leslie_Graves⁠ Check out our complete office hours series: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtP8LWIl9mMO2t_0SXnYhwMv6HHgIoL75⁠ Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia.*On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  On the Ballot

  Why State Constitutions Change MUCH More Frequently Than The Federal Constitution

  Jun 24, 202619 min

  On this episode: The U.S. Constitution has been amended just 27 times in over 230 years. State constitutions, collectively, have been amended more than 7,000 times — and rewritten from scratch over 140 times. Ballotpedia founder and CEO Leslie Graves joins host Norman Leahy to explore why that gap exists, what gets embedded in state constitutions and why, and how states have effectively become the laboratories where Americans test out big policy changes. From California's Proposition 13 to the Article Five convention that's never happened, it's a conversation about how self-governance actually works in practice. Read Leslie’s Column: ⁠https://ballotpedia.org/From_the_desk_of_Leslie_Graves⁠ Check out our complete office hours series: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtP8LWIl9mMO2t_0SXnYhwMv6HHgIoL75⁠ Complete a brief 5 minute survey to review the show and share some feedback: https://forms.gle/zPxYSog5civyvEKX6 Sign up for our Newsletters: https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia_Email_Updates Stream "On the Ballot" on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you have questions, comments, or love for BP, feel free to reach out at ontheballot@ballotpedia.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @Ballotpedia. *On The Ballot is a conversational podcast featuring interviews with guests across the political spectrum. The views and opinions expressed by them are solely their own and are not representative of the views of the host or Ballotpedia as a whole.

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on On the Ballot. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.