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Dean of Students Tom Dunne was present to connect with students about this important work. Photo by Daniel Rodrigues of Excito Photo courtesy of the Harvard College Dean of Students Office.
Harvard hosts voting symposium to further civic engagement
On September 19, college students from voter registration organizations across the East Coast united at the Harvard Kennedy School with the goal of increasing campus civic engagement.
According to data from the Tufts University National Study on Learning, Voting and Elections (NSLVE), Harvard had a 36% voter turnout rate in the 2022 midterm elections.
The East Coast Votes Summit furthered Harvard’s ongoing efforts to increase voter participation and build an engaged civic culture, with support from the Harvard Votes Challenge, Dean of Students Office, Institute of Politics (IOP), and more. Summit participants included students and staff from 13 institutions across the East Coast, including Princeton University, Columbia University, Northeastern University, Amherst College, and MIT.
Learning Together
Students and staff from across 13 institutions gathered at the Harvard Kennedy School for the East Coast Votes Summit. Photo by Daniel Rodrigues of Excito Photo courtesy of the Harvard College Dean of Students Office.
After breakfast and a morning networking opportunity, the 75 attendees heard opening remarks from IOP Treasurer Jack Tueting ’27, conference organizer and Managing Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, Stephanie King, and Harvard College Dean of Students Thomas Dunne.
Following these remarks, students proceeded to two breakout sessions. In the first, IOP Resident Fellow and former U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, Nathalie Rayes, discussed her experiences in public service and work to increase civic engagement. Brandeis University students Nova Brent and Luke Farberman led the second session and discussed creative ways to get out the vote (GOTV).
CEO of vote.org Andrea Hailey provided the keynote address, moderated by IOP Director of Organizing and Special Projects Scarlett Eldaief ’28. Hailey reflected on her experiences and offered advice for students, particularly noting a recent surge in voter registrations by 18-year-olds. After the keynote, Dunne and some Harvard College students escorted the conference participants on tours around Harvard Yard, and to lunch at the historic Annenberg Hall.
Photobook
IOP Resident Fellow and former U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, Nathalie Rayes, spoke about experiences in public service and work to increase civic engagement. Photo by Daniel Rodrigues of Excito Photo courtesy of the Harvard College Dean of Students Office.
Attendees from visiting institutions made sure to visit the John Harvard statue while on campus. Photo by Daniel Rodrigues of Excito Photo courtesy of the Harvard College Dean of Students Office.
The afternoon session included even more prominent speakers, from When We All Vote executive Ashlynn Profit, who spoke about social media GOTV communication, to The Artist Collective’s Maya Peterson, who explained correlations between fandom and politics. Pollster Jeff Liszt was joined by Harvard College students Jordan Schwartz ’27 and Sophia Robertson ’28 to discuss current data and trends within the youth vote. Vice President of the Phillips Brooks House Association Emily Schwartz ’27 delivered closing remarks alongside Jordan Schwartz, who led a raffle for sweaters custom-ordered by Dunne.
Photobook
Harvard College student Jordan Schwartz ’27 joined the discussion on current data and trends within the youth vote. Photo by Daniel Rodrigues of Excito Photo courtesy of the Harvard College Dean of Students Office.
When We All Vote executive Ashlynn Profit spoke to the group about social media GOTV communication. Photo by Daniel Rodrigues of Excito Photo courtesy of the Harvard College Dean of Students Office.
Students enjoyed connecting at the Harvard Kennedy School. Photo by Daniel Rodrigues of Excito Photo courtesy of the Harvard College Dean of Students Office.
The East Coast Votes Summit served as an informative opportunity for student leaders to share best practices, and learn from each other and leaders in the field about how to encourage their peers to vote.
For more information, visit voteschallenge.harvard.edu.
