Voting: The last two elections in North Carolina suffered from low voter turnout. Host Melinda Penkava talks with Steven Greene, professor of political science at NC State, about what motivates people to vote, and what kind of turnout North Carolina can expect for the general election in November. Also, in the 2004 general election, North Carolina will utilize a variety of voting equipment. Melinda Penkava talks about voting machines with Johnnie McLean, deputy director of the NC Board of Elections; and David Allen, contributing writer and publisher of the book “Black Box Voting: Ballot Tampering in the 21st Century,” (Plan Nine/2004) by Bev Harris. Listener Call-in. (40:00)
Letters to the Editor: Like almost every aspect of communication, the letter to the editor has changed dramatically with the rise of the internet. Websites allow letter writers to send out a form letter to hundreds of editorial page editors with just a few clicks. Host Melinda Penkava speaks with Tim White, the editorial page editor at the Fayetteville Observer, about letters to the editor — what makes an effective one and how he determines its authenticity. (17:30)