Go Behind the Ballot is a podcast that asks questions and seeks answers about our political system. We engage with issue experts, political candidates and officeholders. We walk alongside our listeners who ask questions like ‘Why does our government run this way?’ and ‘What can regular folks do to have their voice heard?’ and ‘What do our politicians do anyway?’ and ‘How do taxes work?’ and ‘Who decides what happens in our schools?’ Co-hosts Claire Campos-O’Neal and Nichole Abshire, two Texan moms who are tired of sitting on the sidelines, invite experts and former candidates on the show to take listeners on an educational journey. The podcast alternates between deep dives into top local issues like education, healthcare and infrastructure and in-depth interviews with former political candidates. Claire Campos-O’Neal, a former first-time candidate for the Texas House of Representatives for District 51, encourages former candidates to dish on what it’s really like to run for office. Nichole Abshire, a political novice, is eager to jump in the ring and demystify the political arena for herself and fellow listeners. Ever wonder ‘How do I run for office? How can I create meaningful change? How do we fight back against entrenched, systemic power systems? Is change even possible?' Together we will learn aside one another, pull on the thread of these complex issues and create a community who's eager to know more. 'Go Behind the Ballot' will pull back the curtain to reveal who are the people raising their hand to run for office. The podcast hosts interview former candidates from a variety of political offices. We speak to candidates who ran in the hopes of becoming school board trustees, judges, state representatives, city council members, county commissioners and more. Along with hearing what it was like to really run for office, we ask 'What exactly do these officeholders do?' We will also 'Go Behind the Ballot' on current ballot measures for voters to consider. The podcast will focus on the state of Texas which is commonly seen as ground zero for bad policy and the demise of democracy. With the help of leading experts, the podcast earnestly explores questions like 'What exactly is recapture and how does it impact my local school?', 'Why is Texas banning abortion?', 'What is happening with the power grid?', 'Will we have water in the future?', ‘How do we change our gun laws, especially in Texas?’. Hosts Claire and Nichole welcome feedback from listeners and seek to create a space where the show reflects back what listeners want to hear. Have a show idea? Let us know! Interested in running for office? We want to help! Interested in becoming a political activist? We can connect you with local organizations working on the ground. Need to connect with folks who are feeling similar to you? We have a community built to help you find one another. Need to lurk on the edges until you feel comfortable diving in with us? Feel free to join our community and hang out until you feel comfortable. Need a safe space to ask questions that you worry will be labeled as dumb or offensive? Bring them to our network and we’ll do our best to find answers without judgment. Want to organize mutual aid efforts? Engage with our community and make something happen. We believe that democracy is meant for all of us and ought to reflect all of our voices. Democracy requires engagement and we are here to create a space for that. Democracy means that we know who to turn to when we need answers and help. We look forward to learning and growing together in our quest for a greater democracy. Find links to all of our social media handles at www.gobehindtheballot.com. You will also find a link to join our community. We would love to hear from you and connect with you. Go Behind the Ballot is its own miniature democracy and we would love nothing more than to listen to our constituents. Tune in each week for educational nuggets, inspirational stories, and calls to action.

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