ELECTION RESOURCES
Please join us for a series of academic and co-curricular events for Villanova students, faculty and staff.
Visit Let's Vote Nova to learn how to register and where to cast your vote!
DEPARTMENT EVENTS
The Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest will host a series of events examining labor and democracy. Visit their website to learn more.
Please scroll down for a look at our past events.
Please scroll down for a look at our past events.
Please scroll down for a look at our past events.
LET'S TALK ABOUT IT
DROP-IN HOURS AND SUPPORT GROUPS
The University Counseling Center offers drop-in hours and support groups where students can discuss their feelings about the election.
PAST EVENTS
Situation Critical: Executive Disability and the Dangers We Face
Wednesday, Sept. 25, 5 p.m.
The dangers of presidential disability have presented questions since the Constitutional Convention. However, never has the topic been more prevalent than in the 2024 Election. Join us as we discuss the current guidelines concerning presidential disability and succession, the shortcomings, and what it all means for the next commander-in-chief.
Panelists:
- Professor James M. Ronan, Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Villanova University; author of Living Dangerously: The Uncertainties of Presidential Disability and Succession
- John Feerick, JD, Dean Emeritus and Sidney C. Norris Professor of Law at Fordham University School of Law; helped draft the 25th Amendment
- John Rogan, JD, Senior Fellow at Fordham University School of Law
- Roy E. Brownell II, Attorney, Washington, D.C.
- Joel K. Goldstein, Vincent C. Immel Professor of Law Emeritus at Saint Louis University School of Law
- Brian C. Kalt, Professor of Law & Harold Norris Faculty Scholar at Michigan State University College of Law
Is It the Economy, Stupid? The COVID-19 Recovery, Trade, Inflation, and the 2024 Election
Wednesday, Oct. 2, 5 p.m.
Driscoll Hall, Room 134
The economy plays a crucial role in national elections, as it directly affects the lives of voters. Economic conditions—such as inflation, employment rates, and overall economic growth—influence voter confidence and can sway public opinion. Candidates often focus on economic policies to address voter concerns (for example, James Carville’s famous line from the 1992 Clinton campaign: “it’s the economy, stupid!”), promising solutions to improve financial stability and prosperity. Join our expert panel for an engaging talk to explore how economic factors and policies shape the political landscape and may impact the 2024 presidential election.
Moderator: Professor Ryan Weldzius, Department of Political Science, Villanova University
Panelists:
- Christopher Kilby, Department of Economics, Villanova University. Expert in international organizations, political economy, and foreign aid
- Amanda Blunt, General Counsel for General Motors. Expert in international trade; former counsel for the US Trade Representative’s Office of the White House during the Obama, Trump, and beginning of Biden's administrations
- Shawn Patterson, Research Analyst at the Annenberg Public Policy Center at UPenn. Expert in political parties, organized interests, and public opinion
Voter Information Session Wednesday, Oct. 23, 5 p.m. Join Let's Vote Nova for a Voter Information Session featuring James Allen, Director of Elections for Delaware County. Learn more about voting in this year's General Election and how the county ensures your vote is counted. |
What's at Stake with Reproductive Health
Monday, Oct. 28, 5 p.m.
Driscoll Hall, Room 132
What are the values and beliefs underlying the debate about reproductive health currently at the forefront of the 2024 federal and state elections? In this educational panel organized by the Political Science Department, Gender and Women's Studies and The Space, four Villanova community members address this issue from diverse perspectives. Panelists will discuss what reproductive health is and what’s at stake this November.
Panelists:
- Nancy Sharts-Hopko, PhD, Retired Faculty, Fitzpatrick College of Nursing
- Ann Juliano, JD, Villanova Charles Widger School of Law
- Chelsea Gerrard, Director of Communication, Villanova College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Elizabeth-Jane McGuire, Associate Teaching Professor, Augustine and Culture Seminar Program
Why Are the French Obsessed with the US Presidential Elections?
Monday, Nov. 4, 6 p.m.
Mendel Hall, Room 101
The French and Francophone Studies program is happy to announce a one-hour event featuring journalist Joseph Confavreux from the independent French online news outlet Mediapart. As he is currently touring the country to report on the US presidential campaign, he will share his insights into this pivotal election. An interview with Mr. Confavreux will be conducted by French and Francophone Studies Program faculty, followed by a Q&A session. Join us on Monday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. in Mendel Hall Room 101. This event is free, open to all, and ACS-approved. Click here for additional details.
Post-Election Panel: Villanovans in DC
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 6-7 p.m.
Drosdick Hall, Room 031
Join recent Villanova alumni working on the Hill in politics and government for a post-election discussion on their career journeys in DC, their involvement in this year’s election, and the outlook for the 119th Congress and the path ahead for the 47th President of the United States. ACS approved. Register here.
Panelists:
- Matthew Clarkin '21, Senior Legislative Assistant, US Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick
- Katie Connolly '21, Political Coordinator, Senate Leadership Fund
- Grayson Kisker '20, Chief Videographer, Harris for President
- Hollis Popp '21, Senior Associate, The Frost Group
U.S. Presidential Election Series Panel
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 1 p.m.
Falvey Library Speakers' Corner
Join us for a panel event about the 2024 U.S. presidential election featuring three Villanova faculty members. Billie Murray, PhD, will speak on "The Role of Social Movements/Protests and their Effects on the 2024 Election;" Matthew Kerbel, PhD, will discuss "Constants and Change in the Election Post-Biden;" and Camille Burge-Hicks, PhD, will focus on "Group Identities, Emotions and Misinformation: A Lethal Combination in Politics," discussing how misinformation becomes a potent force in politics when connected to emotions and group identities.
Red, Striped, or Blue?: Examining the 2024 Elections with Polling and Election Experts
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 5 p.m.
The Topper Theatre at the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts
Every election year, millions of Americans tune into their favorite networks to see who wins local, state, and national races. We all watch with anticipation as voting data rolls in from various precincts turning electoral maps red, striped, or blue. However, most people are unaware of how this process works. Each network has a Decision Desk Team that analyzes voting data as it comes in from precincts and counties. Under an enormous amount of pressure on election night, members of these teams call the races in real time that the masses then see on television or online. At this event, we will hear from members of the Decision Desk Teams of major news networks like CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and leading pollsters to examine what happened in the 2024 elections.
This event is co-sponsored by The Pennsylvania and New Jersey Region AAPOR Chapter and the Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest.
Panelists:
- Jennifer Agiesta, Director of Polling and Election Analytics at CNN, Former President of the American Association for Public Opinion Research
- Joe Lenski, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Edison Research. Edison Research currently conducts all exit polls for the major news organizations comprising the National Election Pool (NEP): ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC. Edison Research has conducted all state and national exit polling for the NEP since 2003.
- Ken Goldstein, PhD, ABC News Election Night Decision Desk Team
- Kristen Conrad, Vice President, Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS)
- Kabir Khanna, Deputy Director, Elections & Data Analytics, and Producer of Election Analytics at CBS News
American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation—and Could Again
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 4 p.m.
John F. Scarpa Hall, Laurence E. Hirsch '71 Classroom (Room 101)
The Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy welcomes Yuval Levin, director of social, cultural and constitutional studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he also holds the Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Public Policy, for a discussion about his most recent book, American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation–and Could Again (Basic Books, 2024). The founder and editor of National Affairs, Levin is also a senior editor at The New Atlantis, a contributing editor at National Review, and a contributing opinion writer at New York Times.
Voices from the Border: Immigration Stories, Challenges, and Politics
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 5 p.m.
Bartley Hall, Room 1011
Join the Department of Political Science and the Charles Widger School of Law for a panel discussion exploring Voices from the Border, sharing challenges, perspectives, and stories of immigration.
Panelists:
- Daniel Cortes is a lawyer whose work focuses on the intersectionality of immigration and social justice. Cortes directs the Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and Emigrant Services (CARES), where he teaches the clinic seminar and supervises student advocates.
- Andrea Solís Canto, Villanova Class of 2025 Public Interest Scholar at Villanova Law School. Andrea has worked in direct representation with the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante in Mexico City, and the Nationalities Service Center in Philadelphia. She has also worked in impact litigation with the ACLU of PA and the American Immigration Council.
- Alondra is an asylee from Honduras who traveled from Honduras to the Southern border seeking protection in the United States based on her identity as a trans woman. Her asylum application was approved through the assistance of pro bono attorneys in Arizona, and she eventually came to Pennsylvania, where she was able to legally change her name and settle in the United States.
This event is co-sponsored by the Office of Mission & Ministry and the Center for Peace and Justice Education.
Film Screening: Hesburgh
Tuesday, Sept. 24, 6:30 p.m.
The John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts
(Doors open at 6 p.m.)
Mission and Ministry and UNITAS (Athletics) will a screening of the documentary film Hesburgh on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Mullen Center. Hesburgh is a profile of Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., the president of Notre Dame and a civil rights advocate who worked closely with MLK. A panel discussion will follow featuring Fr. Kevin and Hezekiah Lewis. This event has come together to honor the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Join us at the Mullen Center on Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.). Email the Mullen Center Box Office to secure a seat!
Nonviolent Communication in Election Scenarios
Presented by the Center for Peace and Justice Education
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 4-5:30 p.m.
Dougherty East Lounge
Do you wonder how to respond to conflict, to hate, to disrespect and incivility in the political season? This training session will help unleash the power of active nonviolence to bring more peace in our lives, our Villanova community and our world. Nonviolent communication helps de-escalate and transform interpersonal and inter-group conflicts through better understanding the feelings and needs of ourselves and others. This session will focus on techniques and proposals that address conflicts related to election scenarios.
Villanova students, faculty, and staff are all welcome at this workshop. Please register here.
Activism as Spiritual Practice
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 4-5 p.m.
Multifaith Prayer Room, St. Rita's Hall
Consider how faith/ethical commitments can guide and sustain our work for justice. This session of our Multifaith Contemplative Practices series features Eileen Flanagan, an award-winning Quaker author, speaker and leader of spiritually-grounded climate activism.
INAUGURATION DAY BUS TRIP
The Office of Student Involvement will host a bus trip to the Presidential Inauguration in Washington, DC, on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. Click here to reserve your spot.
