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Vote 2020: Election-Related Programming on KCET and PBS SoCal

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This election cycle, KCET and PBS SoCal explore the past, present and future of our democracy. This special program lineup includes NewsHour's unbiased coverage of the conventions and the debates, FRONTLINE's investigative reports on the candidates, and Washington Week's analysis. Additionally, watch KCET Original documentaries that spotlight California's changing population, values, and social movements, and find local election coverage that explains the propositions and measures you'll find on your ballot and how they'll impact our city and state.

See below for air dates and more information on the program lineup.

Frontline: The Choice Tuesday, September 22 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal

Key art depicting Donald Trump and Joe Biden for "Frontline: The Choice."

In the midst of a pandemic, economic hardship, and reckoning with racism, in November Americans will decide who will lead the nation for the next four years. This is the story of the two men in contention for the job. It examines defining moments in their lives, their approaches to power, and their visions for the future. Watch Now.

PBS Newshour Debates: A Special Report Tuesday, September 29 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal Wednesday, October 7 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal Thursday, October 15 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal Thursday, October 22 at 6 p.m. on PBS SoCal

PBS NewsHour coverage of the 2020 Presidential and Vice Presidential debates.

The New West and the Politics of the Environment Tuesday, September 29 at 8 p.m. on KCET Thursday, October 1 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal

A man wearing a hat stands next to his horse and looks out into the wilderness of Nevada.

Unravel the story of a quiet revolution taking place in American environmental politics in a most surprising place — Nevada. Learn how politician Harry Reid used power to settle water wars, protect endangered species, and usher in a just transition to renewable energy. Watch Now.

187: The Rise of the Latino Vote Tuesday, October 6 at 8 p.m. on KCET Thursday, October 8 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal

187 primary image

Proposition 187 was a California ballot measure passed in 1994 that sought to deny public services to undocumented immigrants. While it was meant to keep the “immigrant threat” at bay, it mobilized non-immigrants and immigrants in Latino communities and their allies in a political awakening that transformed the state’s electoral politics. Watch Now.

The First Angry Man Tuesday, October 13 at 8 p.m. on KCET Thursday, October 15 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal

Howard Jarvis holding up a pamphlet that reads "I'm Mad as Hell" | Still from "The First Angry Man"

Howard Jarvis and his 1978 ballot initiative, Proposition 13, changed everything in California and beyond. “The First Angry Man” unpacks the dramatic campaign that slashed property taxes in California, leading to the collapse of the great public ambitions of postwar America and launched a nationwide tax revolt that continues unabated today. Watch Now.

City Rising: Youth & Democracy Tuesday, October 20 at 8 p.m. on KCET Thursday, October 22 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal

City Rising S3 featured image

Explore how youth leaders, allies and organizations challenge institutional and systemic issues, like underfunded public services, mass deportations and overcriminalization, through civic engagement in pursuit of a more just and equitable future. Watch Now.

Power & Health Tuesday, October 27 at 8 p.m. on KCET Thursday, October 29 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal

Brown chair on the foreground, brown background. "Power and Health" featured image.

Research has clearly shown that the majority of our health outcomes are not determined by genes, behaviors, and access to healthcare, but by what surrounds us. Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King’s idea of a Beloved Community, this one-hour documentary examines how these conditions came to be and to discover the root of the root causes of health inequities. Watch Now.

NewsHour Election Coverage Tuesday, November 3 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal

pbs newshour judy woodruff

Watch live coverage of election results, anchored by Judy Woodruff. Watch Preview.

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