What You Need to Know About Voting--and Why

by Kim Wehle Narrated by Nicol Zanzarella

Overview

“Now, more than ever, Americans are realizing that their votes count. Kim Wehle's excellent guide tells you everything you need to know about the laws governing our greatest right and privilege. A must-read, especially in an election year.” -Norah O'Donnell, Anchor and Managing Editor, CBS Evening News

Want to change the world? The first step is to exercise your right to vote! In this step by step guide, you can learn everything you need to know.

In What You Need to Know About Voting-and Why, law professor and constitutional scholar Kimberly Wehle offers practical, useful advice on the mechanics of voting and an enlightening survey of its history and future.

• What is a primary?
• How does the electoral college work?
• Who gets to cast a ballot and why?
• How do mail-in ballots work?
• How do I register?

For new voters, would-be voters, young people and all of us looking ahead to the next election, What You Need to Know About Voting-and Why is a timely and informative guide, providing the background you need in order to make informed choices that will shape our shared destiny for decades to come.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Editorial Reviews

AUGUST 2020 - AudioFile

Narrator Nicol Zanzarella's voice is urgent, at times even pleading for listeners to vote. It's clear author Kim Wehle is concerned about the 2020 presidential election. She'd like to see major changes in our election system—she talks about the "bizarre electoral college process," for example. At the same time, she's well versed in our current system; she guides listeners through the intricacies of staying registered when moving and dealing with provisional ballots. When Wehle calls it all “the voter two-step,” one hears her humor in Zanzarella's narration. There's a lot of information; Zanzarella's narration frequently slows down to make web addresses clear. Listeners can refer to a pdf to find their own state's rules in handy charts. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

Now, more than ever, Americans are realizing that their votes count. Kim Wehle’s excellent guide tells you everything you need to know about the laws governing our greatest right and privilege. A must-read, especially in an election year.” — Norah O'Donnell, Anchor and Managing Editor, CBS Evening News

“Approachable and informative… What You Need to Know About Voting and Why is a clearly written resource for voters across the political spectrum, and is especially useful as we approach the 2020 presidential election.” — Booklist

Praise for How to Read the Constitution—and Why: “Not since perhaps the Nixon years have there been so many valid questions about the U.S. Constitution and its role in our lives—and so many perceived challenges to it. Kim Wehle’s How to Read the Constitution—and Why provides essential, compelling reading on this glorious document. A must-read for this era.” — Jake Tapper, CNN Anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent

“[An] accessible treatise…. Wehle elegantly translates the Constitution into layperson-friendly terms.”
— Publishers Weekly

"A probing and limpid explanation of an often misunderstood patchwork of systems, requirements, and mechanisms." — Kirkus Reviews

Norah O'Donnell

Now, more than ever, Americans are realizing that their votes count. Kim Wehle’s excellent guide tells you everything you need to know about the laws governing our greatest right and privilege. A must-read, especially in an election year.

Jake Tapper

Praise for How to Read the Constitution—and Why: “Not since perhaps the Nixon years have there been so many valid questions about the U.S. Constitution and its role in our lives—and so many perceived challenges to it. Kim Wehle’s How to Read the Constitution—and Why provides essential, compelling reading on this glorious document. A must-read for this era.

Booklist

Approachable and informative… What You Need to Know About Voting and Why is a clearly written resource for voters across the political spectrum, and is especially useful as we approach the 2020 presidential election.

Booklist

Approachable and informative… What You Need to Know About Voting and Why is a clearly written resource for voters across the political spectrum, and is especially useful as we approach the 2020 presidential election.

AUGUST 2020 - AudioFile

Narrator Nicol Zanzarella's voice is urgent, at times even pleading for listeners to vote. It's clear author Kim Wehle is concerned about the 2020 presidential election. She'd like to see major changes in our election system—she talks about the "bizarre electoral college process," for example. At the same time, she's well versed in our current system; she guides listeners through the intricacies of staying registered when moving and dealing with provisional ballots. When Wehle calls it all “the voter two-step,” one hears her humor in Zanzarella's narration. There's a lot of information; Zanzarella's narration frequently slows down to make web addresses clear. Listeners can refer to a pdf to find their own state's rules in handy charts. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2020-03-16
A thorough examination of the specifics of voting in the U.S.

Constitutional scholar and law professor Wehle has designed this book as a guide for those seeking greater insight into a variety of related topics, including the slippery concept of the right to vote, the background basics of voting, and the structural barriers to voting. Though the writing is clear and conversational, there is a serious aura about the proceedings. She introduces readers to what she calls the “Voter Two-Step”—first register, then vote. This is not as simple as it sounds, as each state has its own stipulations; furthermore, the Constitution has no express provision conferring the right to vote. State legislatures administer federal, state, and local elections, so Wehle offers state-by-state breakdowns of specific requirements; early, provisional, and absentee voting; and the rights of those with disabilities. She then explores one of the most controversial elements of our political process, the Electoral College—“If this sounds to you like an insider’s game, you’re right. If this sounds bizarrely anti-democratic, you’re right again”—before moving on to gerrymandering (“politics-driven…congressional districts”); term limits; voter fraud and its cousin, voter suppression; the dicey role of money in politics; and the troubling role played by the Supreme Court regarding campaign finance laws. Though Wehle can—and has reason to—get cynical at times, she cogently lays out what readers need to know, all with an eye on an important question: “Who…is in charge of our democracy? If it’s not ‘We the People,’ who is it?” In the face of depressing news and statistics about voter turnout, tampering, and other issues, “the answer isn’t despair or complacency,” she writes. “The answer is to vote.” An appendix lists state-by-state registration and identification requirements, among other useful information.

A probing and limpid explanation of an often misunderstood patchwork of systems, requirements, and mechanisms. (illustrations)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172511349
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/16/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos