Remembering all the complex details of how the electoral college works is not exactly easy. And just when you’ve mastered how it all adds up, you probably won’t need to think about it again for another four years — hardly a formula for cementing something in your brain. Aaron Blake, host of The Campaign Moment, makes an appearance on the first episode of The Washington Post’s “Try This” podcast’s three-part series on the electoral college. He explains how the system works, the complicated way electoral votes are assigned and awarded, and what happens between Election Day and Inauguration Day. Aaron is joined by Amy Gardner and “Try This” host Cristina Quinn to make the whole thing so accessible that your high school civics teacher would be proud. Here are some resources if you’d like to dive deeper into the electoral college: An explainer on how the electoral college votes How the electoral college works, in visuals  How fair is the electoral college? Mapping paths to victory in 2024  Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

The election is just four days away. Tens of millions of Americans have already voted. What do the final polls tell us ahead of the election? “Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with Amy Gardner, who covers early voting for The Post, about what early voting data can and can’t tell us right now about the election results. They also talk about whether looking at polls this weekend is helpful, and what to make of burned ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington.  Today’s show was produced by Eliza Dennis. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sam Bair.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Election Day is one week away. As the Harris and Trump campaigns make their final pitch to voters, could racist comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at a Trump rally on Sunday push Latino voters toward Harris? Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with national political columnist Philip Bump about why the Trump campaign and other GOP candidates are distancing themselves from Hinchcliffe’s comments, whether Bad Bunny’s Harris endorsement could move the needle, and what the Harris campaign is doing to capitalize on the moment.   Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sam Bair.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to Philip’s newsletter, How To Read This Chart, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Over the past few months, Elon Musk has heavily invested in the Trump campaign. Musk is hosting rallies in swing states, giving out million-dollar checks to registered voters in those states and organizing canvassers. Billionaires donating to presidential campaigns is nothing new, but Musk is putting much more than money into the race.  Elahe Izadi speaks with technology reporter Trisha Thadani and national political reporter Michael Scherer about Musk’s political influence. Today’s show was produced by Eliza Dennis and Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sam Bair.  The Campaign Moment newsletter is here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Democrats tend to vote early in droves, but early returns this year show signs that GOP voters are hearing their party’s message to cast votes however they can. As of Monday afternoon, nearly 1.5 million Georgia voters had cast their ballots. In North Carolina, the number is over 1 million. And in Nevada, more Republicans are voting early than Democrats. Senior politics reporter Aaron Blake chats with Amy Gardner, national reporter covering voting, about what these returns tell us about enthusiasm this cycle and why it's significant that Republicans are turning to early voting despite years of false messaging from former president Donald Trump that this method is subject to fraud. Catch up on other big campaign stories mentioned in the episode here, here and here. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Allison Michaels and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sam Bair.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with national political reporter Marianne LeVine about the peculiar moments that she’s observed on the campaign trail this week with former president Donald Trump. From a music listening session on stage, to some eyebrow-raising interviews with both candidates, “The Campaign Moment” crew digs into the Trump and Harris campaigns’ final sprints before Election Day.  Today’s show was produced by Eliza Dennis. It was edited by Reena Flores and Mary Jo Murphy. It was mixed by Sam Bair.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

A majority of Black voters support Democratic candidates, but the percentage has shrunk in recent years, with the steepest decline among Black men. So, the Harris campaign has launched a round of targeted interviews, deployed prominent Black surrogates and released policy papers aimed specifically at winning back these voters. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with White House reporter Cleve R. Wootson Jr. about what’s driving some Black men away from the Democratic Party and whether Harris’s last-minute appeals are likely to work. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Renita Jablonski and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sam Bair.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Democrats want to retake control of the House of Representatives. Vice President Kamala Harris goes on a media blitz. And elected officials wade through destruction and misinformation after another hurricane made landfall this week. “Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with Congressional reporter Marianna Sotomayor about whether Democrats will succeed in flipping the House and which voters Harris wanted to reach with her flurry of interviews on podcasts and TV this week. They also dig into the political aftermath of Hurricane Milton.  Today’s show was produced by Eliza Dennis. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sam Bair.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign is outraising former president Donald Trump’s by wide margins. And if you go to one of her rallies, you can tell.  Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with national political reporter Maeve Reston about how the Harris campaign is spending cash on the campaign trail and on the airwaves in key battleground states. They also look at the risks the Trump campaign might face due to its heavy reliance on outside political groups to bolster ad spending and expand the GOP’s ground game.  Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sam Bair.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

The devastation of Hurricane Helene, the escalating tensions in the Middle East and other recent events are casting a shadow over the campaign trail.  Read more: Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with The Post’s chief correspondent Dan Balz about the political impact of past natural disasters on campaigns and how a slow recovery process could sway the presidential election. They also look at whether Iran’s strikes on Israel this week and new details from an unsealed court filing about former president Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election could be sticking points for voters. Today’s show was produced by Eliza Dennis. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Sam Bair.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio faced off at what was expected to be the only vice presidential debate on Tuesday night. But it was much less dramatic than the presidential debates.  Read more: “Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi talks with senior political reporter Aaron Blake about Walz’s stumbling performance, Vance’s efforts to soften his image on unpopular issues for the GOP, like abortion, and whether either performance could significantly impact the race.  Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

“Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with Senate reporter Liz Goodwin about how Senate Democrats are feeling ahead of the November election. They also dig into the politics of New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s indictment and preview what to expect in next week’s first – and likely only – vice presidential debate.  Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sam Bair. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, who covers voting issues in Arizona, about how voters in the state are feeling six weeks before the election and what election officials are doing there to try to combat voter fraud claims. They also dig into what a failed Trump campaign effort to change Nebraska’s electoral vote system says about the state of the race. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy and mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

“Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake chat with national political reporter Michael Scherer about all of this week’s political news. They also dig into how last week’s first – and perhaps only – debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump is shaping voters’ perceptions of the candidates. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

This week saw the second potential assassination attempt against former president Donald Trump in just a few months. Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with Amy Gardner, a national reporter covering voting on the Post's Democracy Team, about this incident and the ways it’s being talked about in the political sphere. They also discuss how threats of partisan violence have become more common and what polling shows about some Americans’ willingness to engage in it. Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with Isaac Arnsdorf, a political reporter covering Trump and the MAGA movement, about what Trump advisers have been saying in the days after the debate. They also dig into whether misinformation Trump is spewing about Haitian migrants eating domestic pets in Springfield, Ohio – claims which are not true – is a useful talking point for his campaign. Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

Post Reports co-host Martine Powers talks with senior political reporter Aaron Blake about what each candidate needed to do in this debate to win over voters in an incredibly tight race. They also talk about whether a new endorsement from Taylor Swift could give Harris an edge. Note: An initial version of this episode had an incorrect reference to Springfield, Illinois rather than Springfield, Ohio. The error has been fixed. Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon and Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

“Post Reports” co-host Martine Powers and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with White House reporter and Kamala Harris expert Cleve Wootson about what Harris and Donald Trump need to do at next week’s debate. They also dig into Harris’s record fundraising numbers and how Harris hopes to help down ballot Democrats in key House and Senate races.  Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here. Recommended reading:  How Democrats made Project 2025 one of their top anti-GOP attacks A louder voice in fighting abortion bans: Men in red states Biden is suddenly seeing his best polls in years

Senior political reporter Aaron Blake talks with Marianne LeVine, a national political reporter for The Post, about the state of the electoral map for Harris and Trump. They also dig into the potential strategy behind the Trump campaign’s spending push in Pennsylvania and Georgia, and whether Democrats have a chance of winning their white whale – North Carolina. Today’s show was produced and mixed by Ted Muldoon. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Mary Jo Murphy.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

“Post Reports” co-host Elahe Izadi and senior political reporter Aaron Blake talk with White House reporter Yasmeen Abutaleb about Harris and Walz’s interview on CNN, new polling that shows continued Democratic enthusiasm, and an altercation between the Trump campaign and an employee at Arlington National Cemetery.  Today’s show was produced by Laura Benshoff. It was edited by Lucy Perkins and Ariel Plotnick. It was mixed by Sean Carter.  Subscribe to Aaron’s newsletter, The Campaign Moment, here.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.