Elon University is committed to promoting civic engagement and participation in the democratic process, a mission that becomes all the more important during election years. As written in the university’s mission statement, “We integrate learning across the disciplines and put knowledge into practice, thus preparing students to be global citizens and informed leaders motivated by concern for the common good.”

The university promotes learning, understanding and constructive discussion through its Active Citizen Series and this year was named a “Voter Friendly Campus” by Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project and NASPA for a second time. In 2022, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge named Elon as one of the top institutions working to increase nonpartisan student voter registration, education and turnout and this year ALL IN recognized Elon for the quality of its nonpartisan democratic engagement action plan. Entities such as the Elon University Political Engagement Work Group, the Elon University Election 2024 Planning Team and the Council on Civic Engagement are working diligently and collaboratively to promote civic engagement.

Round I Voted stickersEvents

Active Citizen Series: Inauguration Watch Event
Monday, January 20, 12:00pm, Moseley Center First Floor
Members of the Elon University community will gather watch the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Navigating the Noise: A Guide to Executive Orders, Journalism, and Social Media in 2025
Monday, February 10, 5:00pm, Lakeside Meeting Rooms
The event will bring together a journalism, social media, and legal scholars to explore the complexities of the current media landscape in the context of political discourse. Dean of Elon Law and civil rights scholar Zachary Kramer, former broadcaster Avery Craine Powell, media scholar Amanda Sturgill, and the Director of N.C. Open Government Coalition Pate McMichael will join scholar/lawyer/journalist Israel Balderas to shed light on how individuals can better understand key aspects of today’s political environment.

Active Citizen Series: Writing for Change – Writing Op-Eds and Letters to Elected Officials
Featuring Dr. Raj Ghoshal and Gram Brownlee
Tuesday, February 11, 4:30pm, Sankey 308
Students will learn how to draft communication to elected officials and newspaper editors to express their opinions and ideas.

Disrupt Distrust: Fostering Well Being and Resilience Through Democratic Engagement
Featuring Sanda Balaban, Executive Director Project Pericles
Tuesday, February 11, 6:00pm, East Neighborhood Commons
The weight of challenges related to the economy, the environment, and political polarization falls heavily on the shoulders of young people, leading to distrust of democracy and compounding mental health challenges. But we CAN disrupt the distrust. Join this interactive session to explore how civic learning opportunities can support individual and communal wellness and cultivate capacities to address societal problems.

Post-Inauguration: Now What? Roundtable Discussions
Wednesday, February 12, Lakeside 212, 12:00-1:30pm
The purpose of this event is to provide a space for students to engage in open dialogue with faculty and each other about what the 2024 election means for their education, communities, and political lives from the local to global level.

Respect and Loathing in American Democracy with Co-author Jeff Spinner-Halev
Thursday, February 13, 4:30-6:00pm, East Neighborhood Commons
Jeff Spinner-Halev is a professor at UNC and the co-author of the recently published Respect and Loathing in American Democracy. At this talk, Professor Spinner-Halev will share concepts from his research about finding civility in civic engagement.

Active Citizen Series: Deliberative Dialogues – Moving Forward as a Nation After the Election
Monday, February 24, 4:30pm, Lakeside 212
Advance Registration Required Here
A Deliberative Dialogue is an opportunity for students, staff and faculty to gather and exchange diverse views and experiences to seek a shared understanding of a challenge facing our society and to search for common ground for action.

Respect and Loathing in American Democracy Book Club
Thursday, February 27 and Thursday, March 27, 4:30-5:30pm, East Neighborhood Commons
Respect is in trouble in the United States. While respect for others is often thought of as a critical democratic value, many Americans struggle to respect those who disagree with them about politics.
Please sign up for the Book Club HERE

Active Citizen Series: Address to the Joint Session of Congress 
Tuesday, March 4, 9:00pm, Moseley Center First Floor 
Join the Elon community in viewing President Donald Trump’s address to the Joint Session of Congress.

Active Citizen Series: Bridging Divides – Understanding and Addressing Political Polarization
Featuring Dr. Adi Wiezel
Thursday, March 6, 4:30pm, Schar 207 (second floor School of Communications)
We know that we’ve been experiencing a high level of polarization in the United States, but what does that actually mean? In this interactive session, we will learn to distinguish between two different kinds of political polarization and investigate the science behind some of the causes of, and potential interventions for, reducing political polarization.

Campus Dialogue Events
Campus dialogue events can be found on the Council on Civic Engagement Dialogue Opportunities page.

Voter Resources

Candidate Resources

Election Resources

Faculty, Staff and Student Resources