On Thursday April 17th at 7:00pm ET, BigTentUSA is honored to welcome back Marc Elias, founder of Democracy Docket and partner at Elias Law Group, and Joyce Vance, former U.S. Attorney, legal analyst, and author of the forthcoming book Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Democracy.
Together, they’ll examine the ongoing overreach of the Trump administration and its disregard for the rule of law. They’ll also dive into the SAVE Act, recently passed by the House and now headed to the Senate. This legislation proposes strict new voter ID requirements and would centralize election oversight in Washington, D.C.—a dramatic shift from the current state-run model.
Critics warn the bill could disenfranchise eligible voters—particularly married women who’ve changed their names—and pose serious risks to the integrity of free and fair elections. Marc and Joyce will unpack what’s in the bill, what’s at stake, and what it means for voting rights, democracy, and the future of our elections.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Joyce White Vance is a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Alabama, a legal analyst for NBC and MSNBC, and the author of the Civil Discourse newsletter. She co-hosts the podcasts #SistersInLaw and Insider with Preet Bharara. A former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama under President Obama, her first book, Giving Up Is Unforgivable, comes out in October 2025. Joyce lives in Alabama with her husband, retired Judge Robert Vance Jr., their four kids, a collection of pets—and she knits, a lot.
Marc Elias is the Firm Chair of Elias Law Group. Marc has successfully argued and won four cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as dozens of cases in state supreme courts and U.S. courts of appeal. In 2020, Marc led the historic legal effort to protect voting rights, winning over 60 lawsuits against MAGA’s efforts to suppress the vote. Marc is the founder of Democracy Docket, the leading platform for advocacy and information about voting rights, elections, redistricting and democracy.
