This midterm election season brings an important opportunity for students and instructors to connect classroom learning to the value of civic engagement. Developments in law and politics at the national level have highlighted the particular importance of state and local civic engagement.
The Ginsberg Center works with students, faculty, and staff across campus to advance knowledge, skills, and commitment to socially responsible civic engagement, which is a fundamental part of being community members and leaders in an increasingly complex world.
Encouraging students to engage in the US democratic process is a non-partisan activity
This post shares highlights from the resources we have curated for faculty and staff to not only encourage voter engagement, but also to support the development of students’ habits of democracy before and after the upcoming election. Regardless of citizenship status, domestic and international students benefit from understanding how democracy works.
Key dates for the 2022 Midterm Elections
- Election Day is November 8, 2022 (For U.S. local, state and federal)
- September 27: UMMA Satellite Clerk's Office opens
- September 29: Absentee ballots become available
- October 12: Duderstadt Gallery Satellite Clerk's Office opens
- After October 24, students need to register to vote in person WITH proof of residency at a Secretary of State branch or with the local clerk.
- Additional voter information available at govote.umich.edu
Increase voter registration and turnout by encouraging students to vote
Studies show that encouragement from faculty, staff, and other students makes a significant difference to student registration and turnout (Bennion and Nickerson, 2016; DellaVigna, List, Malmendier & Rao, 2016; Gerber and Rogers, 2009). Here are some simple ways you can encourage students to vote in your class:
- Share your own voting plan about when and where you will vote.
- Utilize pre-made slides created by the student organization Turn Up Turnout for a brief classroom presentation on the importance of voting.
- Share the UMICH Votes website, which provides voter registration assistance and FAQs to students, regardless of where they hail from.
- Encourage students to be informed voters.
- Explore more ideas here.
Connect your discipline and course content to policy issues
Helping students draw connections between policy or legislation and course content, disciplinary questions, and field-related priorities is critical for educating students about the role we all play in shaping the communities we live in, both while at University of Michigan and in the future.
- Explore this step-by-step planning guide for planning election-related discussions created by Ginsberg Center & CRLT.
- Use our guide for academic partners to encourage students to explore different Pathways to Civic Engagement which offer multiple, intersecting ways students can engage in and contribute to communities to create a better world.
- Explore our curated collection of Civic Learning activities, such as: Consensus vs. Majority-Dissent Decision-Making or What is a Citizen?
- Use this virtual Dialogue Deck of curated images, co-designed by the Ginsberg Center and UMMA, to support a discussion around civic issues.
- Explore more ideas here
Ginsberg staff would be glad to work with you to implement these resources or address any questions you may have. To schedule a consultation, fill out our support request form or contact us at [email protected].