Episode 11. Spenser Mestel

Voting can evoke powerful emotional responses, especially when someone votes for the first time. But the steps taken to vote in the first place— registering, finding your polling place, casting a ballot— should be an easy, accessible, and largely forgettable experience.

In this re-launch episode of “What Voting Means to Me,” Spenser Mestel and Mara discuss this idea and much more. Spencer is an independent journalist and poll worker based in Brooklyn New York— who shares his appreciation for the wonderful and yes, “forgettable” voting experiences he has had, his hopes for a less burdensome system of voting in the United States, and how elite partisan rhetoric and a lack of public understanding of how elections are run have combined to become a potent threat to American democracy.

Spencer has written for the New York Times, The Guardian, Vice, The Intercept, and more. He also has a newsletter called Spenser’s Super Tuesday you can subscribe to, and you can give him a follow on Twitter @spensermestel.