Date: September 15, 2020 and September 16, 2020
Location: Virtual Conference
About the Summit
Adapting to the realities of the global pandemic, the 2020 Summit is going virtual. In its third year, the Summit will bring together community organizations and campus administrators, faculty, and student leaders in Missouri and Illinois for a series of conversations about engaging voters ahead of the November election. Summit sessions will explore the theme, Navigating the New (ab) Normal: Empowering Student Voters in the COVID Era. Attendees will learn about resources, discuss digital engagement strategies, and hear from experts on an array of topics. Community members, student affairs administrators, student leaders, and faculty from diverse disciplines are encouraged to attend.
Virtual Summit Sessions
Working with Local Election Officials: Virtual Panel Discussion with Missouri and Illinois Election Administrators
The pandemic has changed how millions of voters across the country will cast their ballots in 2020, but the changes to voter registration, absentee voting, and vote-by-mail vary by state and are not uniform. Additionally, misinformation about the security of vote-by-mail coupled with recent changes to U.S. Postal Service operations have created confusion and uncertainty among voters. Both the Missouri and Illinois panels feature local election officials from across their respective states. The discussions aim to provide clarity on changes to the voting process, including registration, absentee and/or mail ballots, and polling locations. Attendees will learn how campuses can work with local election officials in 2020 and beyond.
Missouri – Tuesday, September 15th| 12:00pm – 1:15pm
Panelists:
- Gary Stoff, St. Louis City County, MO
- Lauri Ealom, Kansas City County, MO
- Shane Schoeller, Greene County, MO
- Kurt Bahr, St. Charles County, MO
Facilitator:
- Dr. Gena Gunn McClendon, Center for Social Development, The Brown School at Washington University in St Louis
Illinois – Tuesday, September 15th| 2:00 – 3:15pm
Panelists:
- Brian Pryor Jr., Illinois Board of Elections
- Kathy Michael, McClean County
- Douglass John, DeKalb County Clerk
Facilitator:
- Natalie Furlett, Executive Director, Campus Compact for Illinois
Making Community Colleges “Democracy’s Colleges” Again: A Roundtable Discussion Wednesday, September 16th| 3:00pm – 4:15pm
In partnership with the Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) and Campus Compact, this session explores the role community colleges do and can play in promoting a healthy democracy. Facilitators will share resources and guide students, faculty, administrators, and community partners in a discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing community colleges. As communities, states, and the nation confront multiple crises, including a pandemic, an economic recession, protests against racial injustice, deep political polarization, and rampant misinformation, community colleges can meet this moment and lead the way to strengthening our democracy through civic learning and democratic education.
Facilitators:
- Verdis Robinson, Community College Consultant
- Andrew Crocker, Ozarks Technical Community College