As America chooses its next president in the midst of a historic pandemic, a new documentary investigates whose vote counts, whose might not, and why.
The culmination of months of collaborative reporting from FRONTLINE, Columbia Journalism School, Columbia Journalism Investigations and reporters from the USA TODAY NETWORK, “Whose Vote Counts” premieres Tuesday, October 20.
In the documentary, Jelani Cobb, New Yorker writer and Ira A. Lipman Professor of Journalism at Columbia University, reports on allegations of voter disenfranchisement, how unfounded claims of extensive voter fraud entered the political mainstream, and the emerging and important role of absentee and mail-in ballots.
With director June Cross, the Fred W. Friendly Professor of Media and Society at Columbia, and producer Thomas Jennings, Cobb scrutinizes one of the first elections held during the pandemic — Wisconsin’s April 2020 primary, which saw long lines, claims of disenfranchisement, and an unprecedented number of absentee ballots.
The film places the election within the context of America’s history around voting rights and suppression, and discovers lessons for the country as a whole as the November election approaches.
“Whose Vote Counts” also draws on an analysis conducted with Columbia Journalism Investigations and USA TODAY NETWORK reporters that finds:
- Absentee ballot rejections this November are projected to reach historic levels, risking widespread disenfranchisement of minority voters.
- The coming wave of absentee ballot rejections is not due to voter fraud but instead the byproduct of 200 million eligible voters navigating an often-confusing process where simple mistakes can cost a vote.
- Not everyone is equally likely to lose their vote: In 2016 and again in 2018, rejected absentee ballots fell along racial, ethnic and wealth divides, with white, non-Hispanic wealthier voters landing on the opposite side of the disenfranchised.
FRONTLINE Virtual Event:
A Roundtable Discussion on Voter Suppression:
Wednesday, October 21 at 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. EDT)
Join FRONTLINE and The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture for a virtual discussion on voter suppression in America. The conversation will highlight Tuesday’s FRONTLINE film, "Whose Vote Counts," how unfounded claims of extensive voter fraud entered the political mainstream; rhetoric and realities around mail-in ballots; and how the pandemic could impact turnout.
Speakers:
• Jelani Cobb, FRONTLINE Correspondent for the film, staff writer for The New Yorker, and Columbia Journalism Professor
• June Cross, FRONTLINE Co-Director for the film and Professor of Journalism at Columbia University
• Tom Jennings, FRONTLINE Co-Director for the film and Professor at NYU Tisch School.
Tune in or stream:
For the full story, watch “Whose Vote Counts” starting Tuesday, Oct. 20. The documentary premieres that night at 10/9c on PBS stations and YouTube. It will be available to stream at pbs.org/frontline and in the PBS Video App beginning at 7/6c.
Join The Conversation:
FRONTLINE is on Facebook, Instagram, tumblr, and you can follow @frontlinepbs on Twitter. #frontlinePBS
Credits:
A FRONTLINE production with 2over10 Media in association with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. The correspondent is Jelani Cobb. The writers are June Cross, Jelani Cobb and Thomas Jennings. The producer is Thomas Jennings. The director is June Cross. The senior producer is Frank Koughan. The executive producer is Raney Aronson-Rath.
