How Elections REALLY Work | Civics Made Easy

In this episode of Civics Made Easy, host Ben Sheehan unravels the complexities of American elections, from the agricultural origins of Tuesday voting to the modern patchwork of state and county election systems. Sheehan breaks down who runs our elections, how they work, why Election Day is on a Tuesday in November and speaks with Commissioner Benjamin Hovland from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to better understand the inner workings of our elections.

About the Author:

Passionate about fostering critical thinking and informed citizenship, Mary Kate Lonergan serves as the K-6 social studies curriculum specialist at Fayetteville-Manlius Central Schools. Her previous experience teaching eighth grade social studies, high school world history, and participation in government fuels her commitment to student learning. Lonergan empowers students to critically engage with media and information by making media literacy the throughline of her social studies curriculum. She has developed and implemented media and digital literacy professional development courses and has presented at conferences from the national to local levels. Lonergan is a KQED Media Literacy Innovator, serves as a teacher collaborator with Ithaca College’s Project Look Sharp, and is a faculty member of the Media Education Lab’s Summer Institute in Digital Literacy.