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2024 United States Election
Election season is in full swing, and Election Day is fast approaching. The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation has compiled a list of election-related articles, resources, and events to keep you up to date.
Upcoming events
October 16 — Why AAPI Votes Matter: 2024 Election and Beyond
The Ash Center and the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia invite you to a panel discussion featuring Christine Chen and Desmond Ang for a compelling exploration of the AAPI community’s influence on the upcoming 2024 election.
October 18 — Can Higher Education Help Renew American Democracy?
On October 18, you’re invited to join a webinar highlighting these innovative efforts, with moderator Danielle Allen and panelists John Bridgeland and Cecilia Muñoz.
This event is co-sponsored by the Democratic Knowledge Project.
October 18 — Engaging Fans, Empowering Voters: How Professional Sports are Promoting Civic Engagement
The Ash Center invites you to a discussion with representatives of the NBA, NFL Votes, the co-founder of Vet the Vote, and the Deputy Secretary of State of Georgia to discuss how these partnerships are succeeding at supporting voter participation and fair and secure elections.
October 28 — Silver Democracy: Youth Representation in an Aging Japan
You’re invited to a US-Japan Relations Seminar featuring Charles McClean, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Yale University, for a discussion on his book manuscript, Silver Democracy: Youth Representation in an Aging Japan. Mary Alice Haddad, John E. Andrus Professor of Government; Director, Office of the Faculty Career Development; Professor of East Asian and Environmental Studies at Wesleyan University, will moderate.
This event is hosted by the Weatherhead Program and co-sponsored by the Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies and the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.
November 1 — The Role of Unions in Elections and Democracy
In recent years, American politics, union organizing, and workplace dynamics have changed dramatically, prompting a reevaluation of unions’ role in protecting and strengthening democracy. As one of the most effective institutions through which working people can build political power to countervail that of wealth and corporate excess, unions have long played a crucial role in promoting a strong, equitable democracy.
Harvard Votes Challenge
Harvard Votes Challenge is a nonpartisan initiative that strives to build a civic culture at Harvard University by increasing voter registration and participation among students, staff, and faculty. To help HVC get out the vote on campus and mobilize other students, faculty members, and staff, find voting and civic engagement resources to share with your friends and family on the HVC site.
News and Analysis
News and Analysis
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Grassroots efforts to increase voting are gaining momentum in these states, even as other states make voting harder
News and Analysis
Commentary
A Sudden Change at the Top: Was the Democratic Party’s Transition Truly Democratic?
News and Analysis
Commentary
Overview of Protest Activity Around the 2024 Democratic National Convention
News and Analysis
Commentary
The Real Numbers: Tracking Crowd Sizes at Presidential Rallies
News and Analysis
Feature
Political Violence in America: Causes, Consequences, and Countermeasures
News and Analysis
Commentary
What is Kamala Harris’s Story and Why Does it Matter So Much?
Curious about the role of the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is viewed as a democratic anachronism in modern-day America, yet it has persisted for over two centuries despite repeated attempts to reform or abolish the institution. To build off of an Ash Center symposium hosted in April 2024, our scholars and researchers continue to seek answers to some of the biggest questions surrounding why the Electoral College has remained impervious to change for so long and what are the prospects for reform. Below, we invite you to explore several resources geared toward resolving these enduring debates.
Election-related Resources
Video
Political Violence and the 2024 Presidential Election
This webinar convened scholars and practitioners in a conversation about how to de-escalate and sideline election-related violence in the wake of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump.
Case Study
Jail-Based Voting in Denver: A Case Study
In this latest report on providing access to registration and voting for the hundreds of thousands of Americans being held in jails without having been convicted, Tova Wang looks at how Denver – and the State of Colorado – have become a model for the nation.
Policy Brief
Celebrities Strengthening Our Culture of Democracy
This study provides an analysis and evaluation of how celebrity engagement impacts civic participation in the United States. When and why do celebrities decide to use their influence to encourage civic engagement? What difference do their actions make?
