Election Results Party and Campus Votes Challenge to be held in Thoroughbrewed Café

An election results viewing party will be held in Thoroughbrewed Café in Hart Residential College beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4. Hosted by Murray State University through the initiative of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activity (URSA), the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement, and Racer Hospitality Food Services, this event is free and open to the public.

Participants will enjoy live news coverage in Thoroughbrewed Café. Dr. Brian Clardy, assistant professor of history, Dr. Bonnie Higginson, associate provost for academic programs, and Dr. Ann Beck, associate professor of government, will be stopping by to discuss the returns and to encourage discussion.

As part of the festivities, individuals will be encouraged to make use of the laptops provided for accessing the survey known as Campus Votes Challenge. Campus Votes Challenge is a friendly competition among colleges to determine which schools have the highest rate of student voter turnout this November. This challenge, co-sponsored by Tufts University and Campus Compact, offers institutions an opportunity to demonstrate the positive impact of their efforts on student voting.

Most campuses sponsor voter registration efforts, but it is difficult to gauge their impact. The Campus Votes Challenge addresses the issue by providing independent third-party verification of campuses’ undergraduate voting rate. By measuring and reporting the impact of voter registration and turnout activities, Campus Votes Challenge seeks to amplify the university’s individual and collective efforts to elevate voter participation.

All data collected will be sent to a national voter registry to be compared with official voter participation records. This data will be promptly destroyed when the challenge is completed and will not be accessible by a third party. Those unable to attend may still access the survey at https://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/5588/CampusVotes.htm

Refreshments will be available for purchase at the café, as well complimentary drip-brewed coffee and light refreshments.

For more information, contact Jody Cofer at jody.cofer@murraystate.edu or Robin Taffler at robin.taffler@murraystate.edu.