Departments across Puget Sound have organized a variety of election-related events to help us learn and engage with the 2020 National Election. We hope to see you at these Zoom events!
Eric K. Ward is the executive director of the Western States center and a national expert on the relationship between hate violence and preserving democratic institutions, governance, and inclusive societies. John Lowndes is professor of political science at the University of Oregon. His research and teaching interests include American political development, populism, racial politics, conservatism and political culture.
In this session, join attorneys from the Seattle chapters of the National Lawyers Guild in a discussion of a topic essential for political advocates and protestors: how to assert and protect the civil rights created by the U.S. Constitution. The NLG presentation includes discussion of issues like:
Professors Seth Weinberger, Nick Brody will join with alumnus Matthew Bell to explore the topic “Social Media and Factual Influence: Why Your Vote Matters”. The session will feature conversations and information on conspiracy theories and fake news, social media on interpersonal influence and culminate in a conversation about why your vote still matters.
A couch party is an opportunity to help Get Out the Vote from the hopefully COVID-19-safe couch in your own living room. It is an opportunity to connect with peers and help friends and family make a plan to vote. We will be also be offering a viewing of And She Could Be Next through collaboration with Every Vote Counts.
Hear from alumni who are working in politics or running for political office about why your vote especially matters for your local elections and about how they got into working in politics. We will kick off this event with a short panel and then smaller breakout rooms so that you can ask our alumni guests your questions. Our panel features, T'wina Nobles '06, President and CEO of the Tacoma Urban League and currently running for Washington State Senate, Rebecca Bryant '10, Former Communications Director for U.S. House of Representatives Congressman Adam Smith (WA-D), Eric Hopfenbeck '14, Former ASUPS President and Former Executive Director for CiviCO, and David Elliot, Current Policy Director for the Secretary of State of Washington State.
Politics and Government professors will be available for conversation about election night reports between 4PM and 11PM. If you have questions about what you are reading and hearing, what this might all mean in the future, or how this election is different from (or similar to) other elections, please come by the PG Election Zoom room.
Panelists: Ellen Carruth (Education), Grace Livingston (African American Studies and Race and Pedagogy Institute), and Robin Jacobson (Politics and Government)
Moderator: Renee Houston (Associate Academic Dean for Experiential Learning and Civic Scholarship, Communication Studies)
Election 2020 results may be unclear on November 4th, but one thing is clear: our students may be feeling confusion, anger, or resentment. Alternatively they may feel elation or relief. How then do we navigate classes with these emotions swirling? What strategies should be in place for facilitating healthy, inclusive conversations. Alternatively, should we talk to students about what’s going on? To prepare for post-election classes, join our colleagues for a conversation about preparation, practices, and strategies. Please bring your own ideas to share! In advance of the election, you may wish to review this valuable Post-Election Campus Resource and Response Guide from the AACU.
We likely won't know the outcome of the Presidential election come November 4, but there will still be much to discuss the day after the elections. At this panel discussion we will hear from Pierce County Auditor, Julie Anderson, about the process of collecting, counting, and keeping our ballots safe, how the electoral college came to be, functions today, and why that matters for modern elections from Dr. David Sousa, the history of Voter Suppression in the US from Dr. Nancy Bristow, and thoughts on the state of our democracy from Dr. Dexter Gordon.
We recognize that the election outcome, regardless of what that outcome may be, will impact members of our community in different ways. These affinity groups are not support groups, but rather are places for people with shared affinities to gather and process whatever they may want or need to process following the upcoming election. These groups seek to create opportunities for community for groups who have expressed feeling isolated on the Puget Sound campus. Feelings of isolation for ideologies or political perspectives are different and distinct from broader systems of marginalization and oppression that have kept communities from access, equity, and rights. These affinity groups are places of potential community for people to process together with others who share the affinity named. They will be facilitated by Puget Sound staff members who will be there to hold space for interested students. If you are interested in participating in a particular affinity group, please email Skylar Bihl for information about the times each group is being offered and the associated Zoom ID. Current affinity groups are for:
Join us for both large and small group facilitated conversation.
Even once all the votes are counted, we might not know for some time who will be the next president. Where does the race stand? When will we know who has won? Do the lawsuits being filed have merit, and might they succeed? What might happen in the next few weeks? And what might happen in the coming years once we know who has won? Please join members of the Department of Politics & Government for a discussion about the state of the 2020 election and the state of the United States in 2021.