The Civics Lab
The Civics Lab at St. Edward's University (Austin, TX) is a student and faculty collaborative podcast on civics life in America. We interview guests and discuss issues around the intersection of politics, economics, society, public policy, religion and other important issues to the civics life in the United States and Texas. Dr. David Thomason, on the faculty at St. Ed's, is the director of the Kozmetsky Center of Excellence and project manager of the Civics Lab. Students at St. Ed's produce, research and comment on the podcast. The Civics Lab team is led by St. Edward's University students Jacob Zivin, George Reyes, Charlie Mossberger, Paige Kennedy, Tori Fleming and Janie Herring. The podcast is brought to you by the Kozmetsky Center. Some of the podcasts are also funded by a Civics Engagement grant from Pi Sigma Alpha.
The Civics Lab
Politics of Voter Registration- Conversation with Travis County Voter Registrar Bruce Elfant
Before someone votes, they must first register to vote. States across the country vary in how they register voters. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 42 states, plus DC have on-line voter registration to make it easier to register. Texas does not allow on-line registration. Why not? We visit with Travis County (Austin, TX) Voter Registrar Bruce Elfant, and discuss the politics and hurdles of registering citizens to vote. We discuss recent lawsuits by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against Travis County and other urban counties in their attempt increase voter registration, why the state of Texas and several states have stopped using a national database to protect against voter registration fraud, and who benefits from a more restrictive voting registration process.
