Radio Show Decides It Can't Just Ask Voters What They Think, It Must Also Hold An Election About It
A six-state listening tour for a midterms segment has reportedly been upgraded into a fully certified electoral process, run-offs included.
The itinerary, once a simple matter of booking flights to Maine, Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio and Michigan, is now determined by ballot. Voters interviewed in each state are asked not only what issues matter to them, but also to cast a vote for where the microphones should go next, with results tabulated live in what staff are calling the Studio Precinct.
The first contest, between Ohio and Michigan, triggered an automatic recount after the margin came in uncomfortably close for a segment about gas prices. A runoff was scheduled, then postponed when the runoff itself was challenged by a write-in campaign for "just go to all six again, slower."
"We're not reporting on democracy anymore, we're co-hosting it," said a producer, before excusing herself to certify the outcome of a sidebar interview about school board races. A separate committee has since formed to monitor the committee that monitors the recounts, with its own quorum requirements and its own snack budget.
As of this week, the show has reportedly interviewed more voters about the election process for choosing its next interview than about the 2026 midterms themselves. A spokesperson for the tour's internal elections board, who is not a real elections official and has no jurisdiction over anything, confirmed that certification of the Georgia results is expected "sometime before the actual midterms, hopefully."