Voting: How Can We Safeguard and Improve our Elections

Many Americans across the political spectrum are concerned about the integrity of future of elections in the United States. While the coronavirus pandemic has increased public attention on local, state, and federal elections processes, concerns about our election systems have long been present in public debate. How should America ensure its elections are free, fair, and secure? What are the tradeoffs and benefits to changing or maintaining our current systems? How can we safeguard and improve our elections? The Deliberative Citizenship Initiative has joined with the Bonner Scholars program, Ada Jenkins Center, Unity in Community, North Mecklenburg Communities United, and the Department of Political Science at Davidson College to host a deliberative forum following a National Issues Forum guide and format. Participants will be split into small groups of 4-7 people that will be moderated by facilitators trained and certified by the DCI. Groups will discuss a range of different options for reforming our election process and identify areas on which they both agree and disagree. Faculty, staff, students, and community members are encouraged to participate, share their perspectives, and hear from others about how we can address the most pressing concerns about elections in the United States.