Citizen Nation

Election Week! Nov 6 and 8

by admin - November 4th, 2018

This week wraps up our unit on voting rights with a close look at the midterm and debrief of election results.

However, we will only meet in person on Tuesday – I am out of town at an academic conference in Atlanta (the American Studies Association) on Thursday.

Tuesday, Nov 6 – Election Day. Bring a device to class so we can track any ongoing news. We will generate a list of discussion board threads for Thursday, you’ll get your Citizen Project drafts back and the chance to ask any questions about the project or get research advice.

Thursday, Nov 8 – Election Day Debrief. This class will be conducted ONLINE using Blackboard’s Discussion Board feature. Comment on a news story (article or radio piece or video) about the election, including discussion of the SOURCE, the CONTENT, and the SIGNIFICANCE for our course’s discussion of how voting rights have evolved over time. Do this before 11:59 pm, Thursday Nov 8 to get credit for today’s class.

Some things we may be tracking or thinking about this week:

Will Voter Suppression Swing the Midterms? (NYTimes opinion page)

Voting Rights Bills or Initiatives on the Ballot in Multiple States

Florida – will Amendment 4 pass, restoring felon voting rights?

Georgia – A Recent Federal Ruling / Kemp’s Office Accusing Democrats of “Hacking” Georgia’s Voter Registration System / Former President Jimmy Carter Calls on Kemp to Resign

Michigan – will voting rights be expanded through Proposal 3, a bill allowing both automatic voter registration *and* same-day voting?

Nevada – will Question 5, an automatic voter registration ballot initiative, pass?

North Dakota – how will the “street address” ID law impact the election outcome, since a federal judge blocked an appeal from the Spirit Lake Nation?