Battleground: Ballot Box: Recent Episodes
Georgia Public Broadcasting
Georgia has been the epicenter for the national conversation about who gets to vote and how those votes are counted. In the last few years, many changes have been made through the courts and the court of public opinion. Now, the 2020 election will be the biggest test the state has seen. Georgia Public Broadcasting political reporter Stephen Fowler walks through the ins and outs of how voting works in Georgia, highlighting the good, the bad and the complicated.
Georgia lawmakers may only be in session for 40 days, but the work of governing continues year-round. In this episode, we look at how study committees, constituent meetings, and behind-the-scenes research shape the laws that get introduced each January.
This episode features a conversation with two Athens lawmakers who share opposing views on immigration policy and the sanctuary jurisdiction label. They discuss the impact of recent legislation, local law enforcement cooperation with federal authorities, and proposals for immigration reform in Georgia.
This week on Lawmakers Huddle: Immigration laws have come under increased scrutiny with the arrest and detention by ICE of a 19-year-old college student in Dalton. Donna Lowry spoke with Republican State Representative Kasey Carpenter to discuss his interest in immigration reform.
This episode explores how delays in Georgia’s professional licensing system have kept qualified workers from entering the state’s workforce. New laws taking effect on July 1 aim to streamline the process, helping professionals such as nurses, therapists, and accountants get to work more efficiently.
This episode features two bipartisan bills aimed at protecting vulnerable Georgians. Lawmakers passed new legislation to support survivors of domestic violence during sentencing and to crack down on the unregulated roadside sale of pets.
More than 50 policymakers gathered in Atlanta for the New Deal Forum Idea Summit, focusing on effective governance and leadership development. Georgia lawmakers emphasized the importance of collaboration on key issues, such as healthcare, economic security, and housing, to enhance lives across the state.
Donna Lowry explores the history and legacy of Warm Springs, Georgia—a place of healing for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and a catalyst for modern rehabilitative care. Lawmakers discuss recent efforts to restore its therapeutic pools and reflect on the state's role in the fight against polio.
This week on Lawmakers Huddle, host Donna Lowry recaps the end of Georgia’s 2025 legislative session and explores concerns over the state budget and potential federal funding cuts. The episode also features the swearing-in of Barbara Rivera-Holmes as Georgia’s first female labor commissioner.
As Sine Die arrives, legislators face a packed agenda—including the 2026 state budget—after late-night sessions and surprise protests. From a heated debate over gender-affirming care in prisons to election law changes and efforts to ban DEI programs in schools, tensions run high. Plus, the team celebrates a milestone for longtime GPB photojournalist Wesley Nichols.
Georgia’s legislative session is wrapping up, but not without a few surprises. GPB’s Donna Lowry and Pamela Kirkland break down the unexpected last-minute salary raises for top state officials, a revived push to ban DEI policies in schools, and bipartisan support for protecting IVF. Plus, a longtime state senator gets a big new role in Washington.
With just weeks left in Georgia’s legislative session, lawmakers are racing to pass key bills, including Gov. Kemp’s tort reform effort, which faced strong opposition but narrowly advanced. Budget debates continue, with the Senate prioritizing scholarships for private schooling while the House focuses on public school funding, setting up a showdown before the session ends on April 4.
This week GPB’s Pamela Kirkland and Lawmakers host Donna Lowry break down the latest action under the Gold Dome as lawmakers push through key bills in committee, including tort reform, education funding, and prison staffing. With the session winding down, they also highlight a surprising change to hunting gear regulations and preview the debates still to come.
This week GPB’s Pamela Kirkland and Lawmakers host Donna Lowry break down the latest action under the Gold Dome as lawmakers push through key bills in committee, including tort reform, education funding, and prison staffing. With the session winding down, they also highlight a surprising change to hunting gear regulations and preview the debates still to come.
Georgia lawmakers worked late into the night on Crossover Day, passing a record-breaking 75 bills in the House, including income tax cuts and school safety measures, while the Senate approved similar safety bills but failed to pass legislation on sports betting, DEI bans, and firearms safety.
With Crossover Day approaching, Georgia lawmakers are racing to pass key legislation. Lawmakers host Donna Lowry helps to break down where things stand on the state budget, a bill restricting transgender athletes in female sports, and a bipartisan measure expanding access to in vitro fertilization. Plus, a look ahead at what’s still on the table before the deadline.
With Crossover Day fast approaching, Georgia lawmakers are racing to move key legislation forward. From tax relief for farmers to child care tax credits and tort reform, GPB's Pamela Kirkland and Lawmakers host Donna Lowry break down the major bills making their way through the General Assembly.
With the legislative session nearing its midpoint, Georgia lawmakers are moving forward on a range of key issues — from voting legislation to school safety and protections for in vitro fertilization (IVF). GPB’s Pamela Kirkland catches up with Lawmakers host Donna Lowry to get up to speed on the flurry of activity happening under the Gold Dome.
This week, the Georgia General Assembly passed its first bills of the session, including an amended budget to fund hurricane relief, prison upgrades, and school safety measures. Meanwhile, the Senate advanced a controversial ban on transgender athletes, and Democrats pushed to put abortion rights on the ballot.
As the Georgia General Assembly wraps up its third week, lawmakers are tackling a packed agenda — making up for delays caused by wintry weather. In this week's Lawmaker Huddle, GPB's Pamela Kirkland spoke with Lawmakers host Donna Lowry about the latest updates from the Gold Dome.
This week, the Georgia General Assembly was pretty quiet. This is budget week, but even with a light week, we're staying on top of what our legislators have been up to. Donna Lowry, host of GPB's Lawmakers, joins for this week's Lawmaker Huddle.
In our first Lawmakers Huddle, Lawmakers host Donna Lowry joins GPB's Devon Zwald to discuss what happened during the first week of the 2025 legislative session and what lawmakers will prioritize.
A GPB special program looking back at the life and legacy of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, highlighting his accomplishments, relationships, and enduring impact. In this episode, you'll hear about his environmental conservation efforts, close relationship with his wife Rosalynn, lifelong passion for music, and lasting influence on American politics and culture.
A GPB special program looking back at the life and legacy of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, focusing on his work through the Carter Center to promote human rights, conflict resolution, and the eradication of preventable diseases worldwide. Plus, his role in establishing Georgia's film industry and the impact of his presidency and post-presidency on the state and the nation.
LISTEN: Later this month, a courtroom in Atlanta is expected to host the first trial in the Georgia election interference case that includes former President Donald Trump and 18 others who advanced his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential race. But it’s possible that the defendants might take plea deals to avoid a lengthy trial.
LISTEN: Former President Donald Trump’s Georgia indictment has spurred varied responses from Republicans both inside and outside the state. This week, we look at how the indictments are deepening the Republican rift between Trump’s biggest supporters and the rest of the GOP.
LISTEN: On this episode, we talk with Georgia State University law professor Anthony Michael Kreis about Mark Meadows’ federal court hearing and the slew of motions that mark the latest maneuverings within the election interference case.
LISTEN: On this special episode, we look at Donald Trump’s Georgia arrest — and his arresting hold over the GOP presidential primary.
LISTEN: After a years-long investigation, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has made her findings public. On this episode, we break down the state RICO charges brought against former President Donald Trump and his allies in Fulton County.
On this episode, we go deeper into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of Georgia’s election and how prosecutors are likely to show those actions were tantamount to a criminal enterprise.
LISTEN: On this episode, we’ll start to untangle a complicated web of some of the Trump allies who may face charges here in Georgia in the coming days.
LISTEN: On this episode, we’ll turn back the clock to understand how we got here and how Georgia’s election system came to be ground zero for election conspiracy.
LISTEN: Nearly three years since a failed attempt to overturn Georgia’s presidential results, a grand jury in Atlanta will soon decide if former President Donald Trump and his allies will face criminal charges. GPB's "Battleground: Ballot Box" podcast returns to cover those likely indictments with new episodes starting Aug. 7, 2023.
LISTEN: On today’s special episode, we take stock of the state of elections in Georgia roughly one year before the presidential race begins in earnest.
LISTEN: On this special episode, we travel to Washington, D.C., and speak with Georgia lawmakers who'll play an important role in Congress.
LISTEN: On this final regular episode, we look at the 2022 midterm elections in Georgia and how they will influence the future of American politics.
On this week's episode, we look at what key general election debates tell us — or don’t — about Georgia’s top candidates.
LISTEN: On this week's episode, we take a deep dive into Georgia's 2nd Congressional District race and its potential effect on the midterm election. ——
LISTEN: On this week's episode, we look at the good, the bad and the statistically significant parts of polling Georgia's governor and U.S. Senate races. ——
LISTEN: On this week's episode, we visit the Democratic Party of Georgia's convention in Columbus to hear their vision for November and beyond. ——
LISTEN: On this week's episode, we look at how Georgia's top candidates are talking about local and national economic issues.
On this week's episode, we look at conspiracies surrounding Elberton's granite monument, the Georgia Guidestones, and how the community is reacting to their demolition.
On this week's episode, we look at the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to undo precedent around abortion — upending Georgia politics in the process.
On this week's episode, we look at Georgia’s role in understanding the leadup to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
On this week's episode, we look at some of Georgia's primary runoff debates, from Democratic secretary of state to several Republican congressional races.
On this week's episode, we dive into Georgia's primary races: who won, who lost and what it all means for November's election.
On this week's episode, we take a look at how abortion news and the 2020 election affected Atlanta Press Club primary debates.
On this week's episode, we look at how elections officials stepped up and helped stop the creation of unnecessary voting laws.
On this week's episode, GPB public policy reporter Riley Bunch joins to discuss the final days of the 2022 legislative session.
On this week's episode, we visit Georgia's elections official training conference for a temperature check ahead of the May 24 primary.
On this week's episode, we look at a recent Trump rally and how a pro-Trump slate of primary challengers could reshape Georgia politics.
On this week's episode, we continue coverage of the Georgia governor's race by following Democrat Stacey Abrams' campaign as she launches a "One Georgia" tour.
On this week's episode, host Stephen Fowler and GPB public policy reporter Riley Bunch discuss major legislation approved before the close of the Georgia General Assembly's Crossover Day.
On this week's episode, we walk through the steps to vote by mail in Georgia under the new voting law SB 202.
On this week's episode, we follow Gov. Brian Kemp on the campaign trail as the Republican seeks to fend off a Trump-backed primary challenge while looking ahead to a tightly-contested general election against Democrat Stacey Abrams.
On this week's episode, we dig into the importance of county elections boards and their role in Georgia's voting process.
On this week's episode, David Perdue lost his U.S. Senate race after baseless claims of fraud in the 2020 election kept conservative voters home in 2021 runoffs. Now, his newest campaign is premised on validating the beliefs of those same people while convincing them that this time, it’s different.
On this week's episode, we take a deeper look at a story reported with the Center for Public Integrity and NPR about what Lincoln County can tell us about the present — and future — of the fight for voting rights.
On this week's episode, we dive into what to expect in Georgia's 2022 legislative session, from bold budget proposals to election-year hijinks.
On this week's episode, we look at President Joe Biden's visit to Georgia to call for federal voting rights and a historical look at congressional fights over civil and voting rights.
On this week's episode, we preview some of the biggest storylines, campaigns, bills and battles in Georgia to keep an eye on in 2022.
There have been a number of high-profile legal battles over legislation in Georgia recently, including laws on abortion restrictions and voting changes, and other complaints filed by Georgia political leaders over actions taken by the federal government. This week, GPB's Stephen Fowler talks lawsuits with GPB's public policy reporter Riley Bunch.
On this week's podcast, we look at Georgia's gubernatorial race and controversies surrounding former Sen. David Perdue's entry into the Republican primary.
On this week's Battleground: Ballot Box, we interview Sandra Vincent, the mayor-elect of McDonough, and learn what the city's past and present can tell us about Georgia's future.
On this week's episode, we look at the fault lines within the Republican Party in Georgia over how much of a role former President Donald Trump should play in the GOP's direction.
On this week's episode, we take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of redistricting in Georgia, which has grown by a million residents primarily in metro Atlanta.
The second season of Battleground: Ballot Box has launched with GPB's Stephen Fowler catching us up on the politics that have taken place over the last year.
GPB's "Battleground: Ballot Box" podcast, hosted by political reporter Stephen Fowler, returns for a second season starting Nov. 3 to cover the latest developments in Georgia politics.
A historic day in Georgia was overshadowed by senseless violence encouraged by the President of the United States and hundreds of Republicans that have pushed baseless claims of election fraud. On this episode of Battleground: Ballot Box, what comes next in Georgia after Democrats flipped both U.S. Senate seats.
What a week. Somewhere between the president's call to Brad Raffensperger on Saturday and the seething and lawless mob in our nation's capitol on Wednesday, Georgia hosted a momentous election. In a conversation from GPB's Georgia Today podcast, Battleground Ballot Box host Stephen Fowler talks about coming to terms with a historic week for Georgia, and for America.
On this episode of Battleground: Ballot Box, we were going to ask Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger about challenges faced during 2020, but then we got audio of President Donald Trump angrily asking him to overturn the election instead.
On this episode of Battleground: Ballot Box, we take a step back from all the voting chaos — sort of — and talk with someone who represents the future generation of voting and political participation.
On this episode of "Battleground: Ballot Box," we look at the extraordinary steps Georgia Republicans have taken to try and overturn the state's election results, attack the systems and rules they put in place and support President Trump's false claims of fraud.
On this episode, we traverse a wild weekend of election misinformation, lawsuits, and the final recertification of Georgia’s election results.
On this episode of Battleground: Ballot Box, we tackle Georgia’s recount, more misinformation from the President and long-shot conspiracy-laden lawsuits seeking to overturn the election.
On this episode of "Battleground: Ballot Box," Georgia's secretary of state discusses his fight against voting misinformation in the weeks since the presidential election.
On this episode of “Battleground: Ballot Box,” we explore Georgia’s historic hand recount of 5 million ballots through a risk-limiting audit. Counties are working ahead of schedule to finish. The Republican Secretary of State said this will ensure Georgians have faith in the outcome. Meanwhile, top Republicans continue to attack the integrity of the voting process.
It's been a week since polls closed in Georgia, and it may be weeks until we officially know the winner in the presidential race. On this episode of Battleground: Ballot Box, we take a look at what to expect as the state braces for a recount, and voters prepare for two U.S. Senate runoff races.
On this episode of "Battleground: Ballot Box," Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Mark Niesse explains what to expect on Election Day in Georgia, from long lines to how votes are counted.
On this episode of "Battleground: Ballot Box," we learn about voting laws and what role the courts play in shaping our elections.
On this episode of Battleground: Ballot Box, we hear from ProPublica's Jessica Huseman about the best ways to guard against election misinformation in the final days of the 2020 campaign.
On this episode, we dissect Georgia’s voting data, and discuss the recent early voting numbers coming out of the state at the moment.
On this episode of "Battleground: Ballot Box," we talk about the importance of poll workers to the election process.
On Monday, Oct. 12, in-person early voting began in Georgia, and with it came long lines, problems with voting equipment, and a sinking feeling that the issues that plagued June’s primary were doomed to be repeated. It seemed like deja-vu for many voters.
On this episode of "Battleground: Ballot Box," we go back in time and explore the history of racist voting laws in Georgia and how the remnants of those decisions are still present today.
On this episode of "Battleground: Ballot Box," we take a look at voter registration, demographic changes and why Georgia is an electoral battleground.
In this bonus episode of "Battleground: Ballot Box," host Stephen Fowler chronicles how voting in Georgia has changed from 2018 to 2020.
On this episode of "Battleground: Ballot Box," we discuss the importance of making a voting plan, whether you plan to cast your ballot by mail, early in person or on Election Day.
On this episode of "Battleground: Ballot Box," we talk about the mail, specifically voting by mail. It is something a record 1.1 million Georgians did in the June primary and at least a million more plan to do for November's election.
In this episode, we’re continuing to unpack how Georgia’s election landscape has changed since the nationally watched 2018 governor’s race, from the delivery of voting machines to the coronavirus-stricken primary.
In this episode, we explore how Georgia’s voting landscape changed drastically after the 2018 governor’s race, from lawsuits to the selection of a new voting system.
On this episode of Battleground: Ballot Box, we hear from Georgia's Secretary of State, a county elections supervisor, a poll worker and a voter to understand the challenges that loom over a successful November election, and what steps are being done to address them.