SUMMARY
Midterm election season culminates on one important Election Day, but voting is already underway in many states. For the local officials who run elections, the work started even earlier. Liz Landers reports on how they prepare for voting and why they say voters should trust the process.
View the transcript of the story.
Short on time? Watch the video and complete the following See, Think, Wonder questions: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?
News alternative: Check out our recent segments from the News Hour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. Then make a copy and answer these general discussion questions.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- When do local officials start preparing for elections?
- What are some of the ways local officials test voting machines?
- How are mailed ballots verified?
- Who has tried to challenge vote by mail?
- Why do voters sometimes doubt the security of elections, according to Brian McKenzie?
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- What do you think Brian McKenzie means when he says that have a great "voter experience" is more important than speed of counting votes?
- What ideas do you have to make elections more secure? What about ways to build trust among voters about the accuracy of results?
Media literacy: How could you find out more about the sort of risks that election officials worry about? Which do you think are most concerning?
WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO
Watch the following segment on the Trump administration's efforts to reshape elections. After watching, discuss —
- What role do you think the federal government should have in securing elections, if any?
- Why do you think the U.S. election system favors local control instead of national control, even in national elections?
- Do you think new emerging technologies such as AI could make elections more secure, less secure or neither? Why do you think so?
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