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UW resources for navigating the 2024 election

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.

Watch the recording.

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. SpiroMert 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

Watch the recording.

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

Watch video recording.

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

Livestream (Zoom)

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

Register

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.

Learn more and register

More events and lectures

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

UW voting resources

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.