Since the end of Reconstruction, voter suppression has been a tool of white supremacy in the South.

With new political maps in place that are likely to limit the Black vote, we face more of the same in the 2022 election. That's why Scalawag and Anoa Changa are teaming back up for a new podcast series covering Southern communities working to drive change at the ballot box and beyond.

Southern organizers know the monumental challenges their communities face. Through micro-interventions, these groups are providing a home base for community members to feel connected and supported as they take on entrenched power systems.

In the new 2022 season of As The South Votes, we talk about what's working, what's not, and what lessons Southern organizers have learned in their efforts to make the region we love a more just place.

Listen to the episodes:

How we fight gerrymandering in the South

As The South Votes, Episode 2. What gerrymandering looks like in the South—and what we can do about it before it's too late.

Putting redistricting in context, with a spotlight on the legal challenges to some highly questionable maps that have been allowed to go into effect for the upcoming election.

Listen to the episode.

How we save ourselves: Interventions beyond the ballot box

As The South Votes, Episode 4. 'Don't boo, just vote' is a tired refrain. It takes more than an election to save ourselves—let alone Democracy.

Groups that employ continued, year-round civic engagement in the South walk us through the connection between electoral power and creating real opportunities for our communities to thrive.

Listen to the episode.

As The South Votes: Live midterm election results

Follow along with live-updated maps for all U.S. House and Senate midterm elections by state—and check out Scalawag's deeper reporting about voting, electoral justice, and organizing in the South.

If you want to get involved with electoral action, As The South Votes is the resource you need, whether you're just getting started or have been on the frontlines for years.

Together, we can expand who thinks of themselves as an organizer, and build collective power across the South. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to join us in this work.

Further reporting:

Illustrated: The South isn't so anti-abortion after all. Kentucky proved it at the polls.

A mother-daughter artist duo spoke to three activists to illustrate how organizers pulled off an electoral win for abortion in a red, anti-abortion state.

Activists across Kentucky organized voters against an amendment that would have prevented a right to abortion or abortion funds in the state constitution. In illustration, meet three folks who were part of the movement to defeat Amendment 2.

Blue County, Purple State

In Orange County, North Carolina, midterm preparations illuminate both liberal and conservative fears about voter intimidation, election security, and the struggle for the future of the swing state.

While the county might remain an uphill battle for Republicans, North Carolina as a whole is a political toss-up.

On abortion, count on Gen Z for more than votes

In a midterm election season rife with speculation about "the youth vote," these young Southerners fighting for abortion access know that their work doesn't end on election day.

For all the debate on how young voters will show up in 2022, there's a mismatch between campaigns to engage them and their experiences organizing for reproductive justice on the ground.

This series is made possible with the support of the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems.

Tools & more reporting:

Black disillusionment is real, but Black liberation is possible

As The South Votes Town Hall—Part 3

Many voters—and organizers—are critical of the Biden/Harris ticket, but don't have a good alternative to offer. Is that voter suppression? How do we combat this specific kind of disillusionment?

In Florida, protesting can cost you your right to vote

A new state law could create a protest-to-disenfranchisement pipeline and undermine collective power.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met calls to defund the police with an expansion of police power to crack down on protests.

Voter suppression reporting and urgent information for voters in Southern states including: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Walking through common questions around the upcoming November 2020 election, and issues with the postal service around absentee ballots. How to cast your ballot, send in a mail-in ballot, find resources for voting in person, avoid voter intimidation at the polls, and what to do when someone tries to keep you from voting. Investigating racist laws and providing tools and strategies for underserved and marginalized communities.