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Power Corrupts

How to Rig an Election

Power Corrupts

Brian Klaas

News, Politics, 498122

4.82K Ratings

🗓️ 1 May 2019

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

How do you rig an election—and get away with it? Why did a cult try to poison an entire county to win a local election? And what about using disappearing ink, or threatening arson, or name doubles? This episode shows how the amateurs rig elections — with hilarious mix-ups and puréed beavers — and how the pros get away with it.
Support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/powercorrupts
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Power Corrupts is written and narrated by Brian Klaas. The executive producer is George McDonagh. Alex Portfelix is the producer and sound editor. Theme music is by Scott Holmes.

News clips in this episode came from PBS, KKGW in Portland, Euronews, and CBS News.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Thank you for listening to Power Corrupts. We make this show because we think it's important not to make money,

0:05.4

but it does cost money to make episodes. If you want to help us stay editorially independent,

0:10.5

please consider supporting our work in one of two ways.

0:14.0

First, pre-order my new book, Corruptible, Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us,

0:19.0

which comes out on November 9, 2021.

0:22.0

It's an exploration of the bizarre fascinating ways in which humans relate to

0:26.0

power that ranges from everything from corrupt beehives to the time I took a ski lesson with a man who

0:31.8

once ruled Iraq. If you like this

0:34.0

podcast I promise you love the book. Second, join a community of

0:38.4

supporters and get access to exclusive bonus content by going to Patreon.com slash power corrupts.

0:46.0

For just three dollars a month you'll get access to early episodes and at different tiers

0:49.9

you can get bonus content like uncut interviews as well as the possibility of a

0:54.0

Zoom meet and greet with my producer George and myself. If you don't support the

0:58.8

show I'll be forced to bombard you with ads about socks and job recruitment schemes and mortgage websites and nobody wants that.

1:05.0

But seriously, thank you for listening and for your support.

1:10.0

Dictators have got better.

1:12.0

Authoritarian leaders have learned how to rig elections in more subtle and sophisticated ways.

1:17.0

I don't think I was smart enough. I didn't hear from myself, I don't think, at any time. But they tried to kill my boss, and they actually

1:26.0

bought firearms and had a plan to kill him. And I should have been more careful. I'm Brian Klaas and you're listening to power corrupts, the

1:38.2

podcast where we shine a light onto the hidden and often nefarious forces that

1:42.3

shape our world.

1:45.0

Imagine it's the autumn of 1984.

...

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