In a democracy, registering to vote is the first step in making your voice heard. The next is learning about the issues – local, state and national – so you can make informed choices as you complete your ballot. But sorting through the volume of information in the media, posted online and spread through word-of-mouth can be daunting. Determining what is true and what is not adds another layer of complexity.
Fortunately, universities, especially this one, are filled with curious people who like to question, research, verify and communicate information. UW faculty have deep expertise in everything from public policy to the history of elections, to legislative process and constitutional law, to U.S. foreign policy – not to mention news coverage, social media and the spread of misinformation.
If you’re looking for accurate information on democracy and elections, you are at the right place.
Democracy in Focus lecture series
Every Tuesday leading up to the election on Nov. 5, UW faculty members will share their expertise through a public lecture on an election-related topic. Presented by the Office of the Provost, in partnership with the College of Arts & Sciences, iSchool, School of Law, and Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, the lectures will begin at 4 p.m., PDT, on the Seattle campus with live streaming to Bothell and Tacoma and this webpage.
Polarization, Persuasion, and Talking Across Difference
Tuesday, Oct. 1
Presenter: Mark Smith, Political Science.
Organized by the College of Arts & Sciences Social Sciences Division
Protecting Information Integrity: Election Rumor Research at the UW Center for an Informed Public
Tuesday, Oct. 8
Presenters: Emma S. Spiro, Mert Can Bayar, Zarine Kharazian, Rachel Moran-Prestridge and Joseph Schafer from the Information School’s Center for an Informed Public.
Learn about election rumoring through What to Expect When We’re Electing: An Election Rumoring Timeline, the 2024 U.S. elections rapid research blog by the UW Center for an Informed Public.
Organized by the Information School
Zooming Out: 2024 Elections in Historical, Social, and Cultural Contexts
Tuesday, Oct. 15
Presenters: Margaret O’Mara, History; Jessica Beyer, Jackson School of International Studies; and Daniel Bessner, Jackson School of International Studies
Organized by the College of Arts & Sciences Social Sciences Division
Presidential Power
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 4 p.m., Denny Room, Oak Hall
Presenters: Lisa Marshall Manheim, Liz Porter, Jeremiah Chin, and Danieli Evans, Constitutional Law
Video recording coming soon.
Organized by the School of Law
Who Votes and Why Voting Matters
Tuesday, Oct. 29, 4 p.m., Denny Room, Oak Hall
Presenters: James Long, Political Science, and UW voices from across the three campuses.
Free pizza will be served.
Organized by the College of Arts & Sciences Social Sciences Division and the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance
Trust on the Ballot: Voting in Washington
Thursday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall Seattle
Presenters: Current Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and former Secretaries of State Kim Wyman and Sam Reed.
Join three Washington Secretaries of State as they discuss the history and evolution of voting in our state—from the various systems in place to the complex and polarized climate we now operate in. Free and open to the public. Registration is required.
Organized by the College of Arts & Sciences and the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance
UW Graduate School’s Public Lecture Series
This autumn, the UW Graduate School’s public lectures will address election-related topics such as how to have conversations during difficult times and the state of American democracy. In January, UW Political Science Professor Megan Ming Francis will assess the election outcome, and Grammy award-winning rock band Quetzal will give an inauguration day performance.
More events and lectures
Upcoming
- Past, Present and Future Demographic Diversity in the U.S. and Washington, 2024 Samuel E. Kelly Distinguished Faculty Lecture, Thursday, Oct. 17, 6 p.m., Alder Hall, presented by Sara Curran, director of the UW Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology. Sponsored by the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity. Register to attend.
Recorded
- Start Something: AI and Political Misinformation. Computer scientist Oren Etzioni and tech reporter Katherine Long talk about AI and political misinformation, and his nonprofit TrueMedia.org, which uses AI to identify deepfakes. Sponsored by CoMotion. Watch the recording.
Past
- The Annual UW Constitution Reading, noon to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 9, in the Reading Room in Suzzallo Library. Sponsored by UW Libraries.
UW voting resources
- Democracy Dawgs, a coalition of students, staff, faculty, community members, and civic leaders, are working to increase student voting rates and build an even stronger culture of civic and democratic engagement at the University of Washington.
- UW Community Engagement and Leadership Center (CELE) provides online voting resources for students and others.
- All in Campus Democracy Challenge is a nationwide effort involving more than 850 colleges and universities – including the UW’s Seattle and Bothell campuses – to increase nonpartisan student civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation.
- UW Libraries’ 2024 election guide is packed with news sources, the latest on voting rights and ways to evaluate information.
- Faculty Toolkit includes guidance for instructors who want to encourage their students to vote.
- What to Expect When We’re Electing: An Election Rumoring Timeline is a 2024 U.S. elections rapid research blog by the UW Center for an Informed Public.
Free expression and dialogue
- UW Dialogue Initiative empowers UW students with the tools and mindsets to engage in skilled and productive dialogue across differences.
- UW Center for an Informed Public is an interdisciplinary team of faculty, research scientists, graduate students, post-docs and research fellows whose goals are to resist strategic misinformation, promote an informed society, and strengthen democratic discourse.
- The UW’s approaches and policies on freedom of expression, including academic rights, use of University facilities, student conduct, political activity and religious activity.