How two swing states changed American voting
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What historical events led to the rise of voter‑suppression tactics in Arizona?
This is Ira Glass. On This American Life, we tell stories about when things change. Like for this guy, David, whose entire life took a sharp, unexpected, and very unpleasant turn. And it did take me a while to realize it's basically because the monkey pressed the button. That's right. Because the monkey pressed the button. Surprising stories every week, wherever you get your podcasts.
Do you think that I really would be here in front of the Judiciary Committee of the United States to testify on the qualifications of the chief justice after 27 years of trying lawsuits if I wasn't absolutely sure that I interviewed Bill Rehnquist because voters pointed him out?
In the summer of 1986, the Senate held hearings to confirm William Rehnquist as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. And some of the most dramatic moments of the hearings didn't have anything to do with his previous 14 years as an associate justice on the bench. Instead, it was about something that happened years before he was even a judge, when he was living in Phoenix, Arizona in the 1960s.
We saw Mr. Rehnquist drive up.
There was a group of young Republicans. I saw them there, and I saw them approach at least one voter, and if my memory is correct, two.
Witnesses say they saw William Rehnquist, who was a well-known attorney at the time, at polling places in the early 1960s. The witnesses said Rehnquist was there to challenge the eligibility of some voters. He approached the line
on the outside of the polling place.
He said, pardon me, are you a qualified voter to this black gentleman? And the man said, yes. And he said, do you have any credentials to indicate that you are? The man said no, and he said, well, then perhaps there's a question whether or not you're qualified. Was he harassing voters?
Yeah, he harassed one right in front of me.
What did he do?
Asked him to read a card. Read something from the Constitution. I kept looking, and I thought he was going to stick it in my face, and I would stick my fist in his mouth.
During the hearing, William Rundquist denied any claims that he harassed or intimidated any voters. Yes, I do deny that. I deny that. Yes, I do deny that. But he did acknowledge that he gave legal advice to Republicans who were at the polls challenging voter eligibility and that in some cases he showed up at the polling places himself. He called it an election day program. Others called it a ballot security program. Rehnquist was sworn in as chief justice and the nation moved on. But that so-called Election Day program had taken on a life of its own, becoming a national strategy whose legacy still reverberates today in the bigger fight over controlling the vote. In 2026, that fight to control the vote is as big as ever.
President Trump has pushed all year to change voting rules for the upcoming elections.
We want voter ID. We want proof of citizenship. We want honesty in our elections. We want honesty in our
country. A strategy which is upending the midterms. It's important to note that there is very little evidence to support his claims of widespread voter fraud.
This effort by the United States Postal Service and the federal government right now is a naked attempt to inject chaos and doubt into our election system
right before voting starts. States have jumped into the act too. Ten states have changed or adopted new congressional maps ahead of the 2026 elections in an attempt to flip or secure seats.
Those conditions are fueling a congressional gerrymandering fight that President Trump started
last year. These 2026 midterm elections will feature six Republican-leaning districts and one Democratic-leaning
seat.
How did William Rehnquist’s early “election‑day program” shape modern ballot‑security strategies?
All these tactics have resulted in a flurry of election-related lawsuits.
The U.S. Supreme Court has again stopped a newly drawn congressional map.
And that has sown a sense of uncertainty. The
state court has blocked the new map, which favors Republican candidates.
At stake, the Democrats believe they have a real chance to flip the House and the Senate. In the end, this election will come down to who votes.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What historical events led to the rise of voter‑suppression tactics in Arizona?
0:00–4:14
2
How did William Rehnquist’s early “election‑day program” shape modern ballot‑security strategies?
4:14–10:48
3
What was Operation Eagle Eye and how did it expand the Arizona voter‑challenge model nationwide?
10:48–18:22
4
How did Arab‑American workers in Dearborn organize a wildcat strike against UAW investment in Israeli bonds?
18:22–26:03
5
What role did the 1973 Arab‑Israeli war play in galvanizing Detroit’s Arab‑American labor movement?
26:03–33:35
6
How did the Arab Workers’ Caucus achieve UAW divestment from Israel after six decades of activism?
33:35–40:48
7
Why are Arizona and Michigan considered the pivotal swing states for the 2026 midterms?
40:48–49:23
8
What lessons from these two states can inform future strategies to protect voting rights?
49:23–54:19