Political Violence Data & The Fight Over Mail-In Voting

In this segment of America’s News Hour with Bill Bernardoni, the conversation moves from data to democracy. Bill wraps up with Alex Nowrasteh from the Cato Institute, whose research shows that while political violence is tragic and deeply disruptive, the actual number of politically motivated murders in America is far lower than headlines often suggest—just 0.07% of total murders since 2020. His work went viral, sparking heated reactions from both the left and the right, but his central message is clear: keep the scale of political violence in perspective. Then, Bill turns to Barbara Smith Warner, Executive Director of the National Vote at Home Institute, for a timely and critical discussion on voting rights. From her experience in Oregon—the first state to adopt universal vote-at-home elections—Barbara explains why voting at home leads to more informed, fully completed ballots, and why fears about security often miss the mark. With 20% of U.S. voters now living in states that conduct elections through universal vote-at-home systems, she argues this model strengthens democracy by expanding access while maintaining security. Together, these conversations highlight two defining issues of our time: how we understand political violence and how we protect the foundation of democracy—our right to vote.Do you believe expanding vote-at-home nationwide would strengthen democracy and voter access—or do you worry it would create more problems with trust and security?Follow Bill on X at @BillBernardoni, explore his work at Bernardoni.media, and read his latest writings at Bernardoni.blog. You can learn more about Alex and the CATO Institute at Cato.org. You can learn more about Barbara and her work at the National Vote at Home Institute at voteathome.org.