10/24/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/24/2024 18:43
Key takeaways
As the country prepares to head to the polls for another presidential election, the din of the dueling campaigns can leave some confused, angry or apprehensive about voting. Social media, news channels and even everyday conversations can expose clashing political ideologies, and misinformation can make ballot initiatives and candidates' policies seem more than a bit blurry.
UCLA experts and units can help clear away the noise and bridge the divides. From advice on how to talk to someone with different views to information that can help you decide which hole to punch in the voting booth, these resources can make counting down to Election Day and that trip to the polls a little easier.
For meaningful engagement: Dialogue across Difference
Differences of opinion abound in a democracy, with difficult and charged conversations often something people try to avoid. But UCLA's Dialogue across Difference initiative seeks to build our muscle for meaningful and thoughtful engagement, even in the face of conflict, and strengthen the intellectual culture of the campus community.
This election season, Professor David Myers and Maia Ferdman, who lead the initiative, shared advice on how to engage in conversations across the political divide.
The team also recommended playbooks from the Constructive Dialogue Institute and Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley to help guide conversations, as well the film "Purple," from their partners Resetting the Table, which models what constructive engagement across political divides looks like.
For those looking to dive in and flex their dialogue muscles, Dialogue across Difference and UCLA's RISE Center are offering workshops on Monday, Oct. 28, centered around healthy and constructive conversations across politics - one at noon and another at 4 p.m.
Preparing to vote: Making informed decisions
The Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Network, an initiative of UCLA Campus Life and the UCLA Center for Community Engagement, offers Bruins an online portal featuring events, programs and resources around campus that can provide guidance around the election process and ballot initiatives.
One of those upcoming events is Boos and Ballots (it's nearly Halloween, after all!), a nonpartisan education session open to all UCLA students on Vote Early Day, Tuesday, Oct. 29. Campus and community partners and experts will be on hand to help demystify the choices.
For helpful analysis on local referendums, UCLA Alumni and UCLA Government and Community Relations recently convened a panel of experts on local ballot measures in the county and city of Los Angeles (video). Then panel was moderated by Jim Newton, veteran Los Angeles journalist and editor-in-chief of UCLA Blueprint magazine.
Another panel of UCLA experts discussed California state ballot measures (video)Proposition 33, which addresses rent control, and Proposition 36, which increases penalties for certain theft and drug trafficking offenses. These discussions featured Newton, who is also a UCLA lecturer in political science, Shane Phillips, a housing affordability researcher from the UCLA's Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies, and former state Sen. Dean Florez.
And the Hammer Forum: 2024 Presidential Election series, presented by the Hammer Museum and UCLA Law's Safeguarding Democracy Project, has addressed anxieties and concerns around free and fair elections. The panel discussions - all of which can be watched online - have tackled questions about the fairness of the Electoral College, the public's confidence in election results and concerns about foreign interference and disinformation.
For more in-depth looks at different issues, UCLA Newsroom has compiled a special Elections 2024 microsite, which features UCLA research, news and commentary on the elections, including expert analysis of the presidential race and the latest on topics like the power of the Latina electorate,authoritarian tactics in the presidential campaign and outreach to eligible voters with felony convictions.
Election Day and after: When, where and how to vote, plus post-election resources
BruinsVote.This nonpartisan coalition, which focuses on voter registration and mobilization efforts, provides you with important information about how to vote. Their site covers everything from how to check your voter registration status to tracking your vote-by-mail ballot and how you can vote on campus.
Voting on campus.This year, UCLA will host vote centers starting Oct. 26 in De Neve Plaza and Nov. 2 at the Hammer Museum and Bruin Reception Room in Ackerman Union. Vote-by-mail ballots can also be dropped off at the centers, as well as at the drop box by the parking and information kiosk on Westwood Plaza and the post office in Ackerman Union.
Election watch party. On Nov. 5, BruinsVote and UCLA Campus Life are holding an election night watch party at the Pavilion Club in Pauley Pavilion. All members of the UCLA community are welcome to come and watch the results roll in, starting at 5 p.m.
After the election. The Bruin community is encouraged attend events around campus and to make use of resources available to help people process the election. A post-election reflection event will be hosted by UCLA Student Affairs on Nov. 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the De Neve Auditorium. And counseling services will continue to be available for students, as well as faculty and staff.