By principle, the U.S. electorate is composed of all American citizens eligible to vote—a fundamental democratic right enshrined in the Constitution. The electorate should represent the entirety of the adult population, regardless of race, class, gender, or political affiliation. However, in practice, the picture of the American electorate is far more complicated. Certain groups face systemic exclusion, whether through deliberate voter suppression tactics, structural barriers, or more insidious forms of marginalization, such as not being conceived of or targeted as voters by political campaigns.

In this episode of Who is Voting in 2024?, we explore these dynamics, asking: Who is truly the U.S. electorate? With the world watching the 2024 US campaign unfolding, what mechanisms determine who gets to participate fully in the electoral process? Most importantly, what can be done to address these systemic exclusions and foster a more inclusive democracy?

To help us unpack these critical questions, we are joined by two distinguished guests. Shilpa Jindia, Fellow at the Campaign Legal Center (CLC), and Benjamin Goldfrank, Professor of Political Science at Seton Hall University. Together with co-host Laura Bullon-Cassis, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Albert Hirschman Centr on Democracy, they discuss the pathways to greater inclusion, considering both the legal and civic approaches necessary to create an electorate that genuinely represents all Americans, and putting the US elections in a global perspective.