On Democracy Day, a Big Push for Students to Vote

Arts, speakers and constructive dialogue will mark the day’s activities

A hand holds a paint scraper over a screen print screen with blue paint dripping. the screen says "Democracy Day 2024"

Duke students will get one last reminder to get out to the polls Friday, Nov. 1, during Democracy Day on campus.

The day-long series of events promote the importance of voting, said Duke senior Chloe Decker, student chair of Duke Votes, the nonpartisan student group organizing the series of events.

“It’s a big push for students who haven’t voted early yet,” Decker said. “We want to make early voting as obvious on campus as possible.”

Voters registered in Durham County can cast ballots on campus at Karsh Alumni Center until Saturday, Nov. 2, the final day of early voting. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, but there are no campus voting locations that day.

Duke Votes has been busy for weeks and there’s a lot of enthusiasm on campus for the Democratic process, Decker said.

“We registered close to 4,000 people through Duke Votes,” she said. “We are constantly getting questions. I think people are quite engaged.”

Throughout the day, Nov. 1, various student groups will be encouraging students to vote through march-to-the-polls events starting at the Bryan Center Plaza, and there will be a party at the polls event at Karsh as well.

“Students participating in Democracy Day activities can also go to the Wilder Building beside Karsh Alumni Center to obtain an approved Duke ID card if they need a photo ID to vote.”

Other events will include:

  • From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Duke Arts will bring two screen printers to the Bryan Center Plaza to print T shirts with Democracy Day designs.
  • From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Bryan Center stage, student singing and dance groups will perform for passersby at an event dubbed “Votechella.”
  • At 1:30 p.m., Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams and Frank Bruni, a New York Times columnist who now teaches in the Sanford School of Public Policy, at Griffith Theater.
  • From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Duke student groups will host a civic engagement fair at various West Campus residential quads.
  • From 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., student groups Duke Democrats and the Duke Ciceronian Society will have a joint discussion of political issues. This event will be on the fifth floor of McClendon Tower.  

Students march to vote at Karsh Alumni Center, during the spring 2024 Democracy Day