A Braver Campus Debate: Abortion

Date: Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Time: 5 – 6:30pm 

Location: Merten Hall 1201

Mason360 RSVP Link: cglink.me/2d7/r2270792 (please register by Friday, September 20th)

Learn more: lead.gmu.edu/bravercampus

This event is open to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community.

Topic: Abortion: Should there be any limitations (legal or otherwise) on a pregnant person’s ability to have an abortion?

Host: Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement

The Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment (CCEE) & The Leadership Education and Development Office (LEAD) are merging to become the Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement.

The Center for Leadership and Intercultural Engagement (CLIE) is partnering with Braver Angels, Bridge USA, and the American Council of Trustees and Alumni to host our very own: A Braver Campus Series. Our second event for the Fall 2024 series is a debate focused on the topic of Abortion.

A Braver Campus Debates are non-competitive, highly immersive and experiential for students. They are not performative or spectator-oriented — very different in tone and approach from televised debates that politicians engage in. Everyone in the room is invited to participate – whether they are students, faculty, staff, etc. They are moderated by an expertly trained debate chair in a light parliamentary style that guides conversation and encourages deep listening and respect. The debate is highly participatory (everyone who attends can have a chance to share their view), is highly structured (no cross talk, no shout downs), is not a competition, etc. Participants address their comments to the debate chair (a moderator from one of our co-sponsors).

VIDEO: Watch a recap of the VP debate watch party and hear student and community member reactions:

On Tuesday, October 1st, University Life and Mason Votes hosted a watch party for the Vice-Presidential Debate between Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance (R). The event was held in the Johnson Center Atrium.

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Photos, Videos, and Interviews by: Mitchell Richtmyre, Mathilda A. Tataw, and Camila Segarra

Voiceover: Ximena Espinoza

Video Editor: Patrice Pannell

Are you registered to VOTE?!?

Don’t forget to register or verify: elections.virginia.gov/registration/how-to-register

VA Citizen Registration Portal: elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal

If you have already registered in Virginia:

Check your registration and confirm that you are registered at your current address, find your polling location, or update your registration online at elections.virginia.gov before Oct. 15, 2024.

If you need to register in Virginia:

Qualifications for voter registration: US Citizen, resident of Virginia, will be 18 years old on or before November 5, 2024 (if you are 17, you can still register and vote if you turn 18 on or before Election Day), have valid ID, and not currently convicted of a felony or judged as mentally incapacitated and disqualified to vote. Click here to learn more about voter eligibility in Virginia >

Voter Registration Deadline: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 is the deadline to register to vote or update an existing registration. Learn more: elections.virginia.gov/registration

• NEW: Voters may register through Election Day, and vote using a provisional ballot. Click here to learn more about same day voter registration >

Paper Registration: Click here to access a printable PDF Virginia Voter Registration Application >

Register Online: You may submit your registration and absentee ballot requests online, but only if you have a Virginia DMV record:

• If you have a Virginia driver’s license, you can register online. Go to: elections.virginia.gov and use the secured citizen’s portal. It takes about 2 minutes to register online, you will need your Virginia driver’s license number. The last day to register or update your registration to be eligible to vote in the Nov. 5 General and Special Elections is Oct. 15 postmarked by mail or in person by 5:00 p.m., or online by 11:59 p.m.
• If you don’t have a Virginia driver’s license, go to elections.virginia.gov to fill in the registration form, print it, sign it, and send it to the Department of Elections by mail. Your registration form must be postmarked by Oct.15, 2024.

Students living on the Mason’s Fairfax campus: You may register to vote from your campus address and provide your current resident hall name and dorm number. You will need to change this voting address when you move.

When registering or updating your existing Virginia voter registration:

• Provide your current residence hall’s physical building address (including your residence hall name and room number) as your RESIDENCE (Question #2) on the voter registration application, AND provide your Hub mailing address (4450 Rivanna River Way, PMB #, Fairfax, VA 22030) as your MAILING ADDRESS (Question #4) on the voter registration application.

Don’t know the physical address of your residence hall? Click here to find it on the list >

If you need to register outside Virginia:

Visit vote.gov and select your home state or territory to access local voter registration deadlines, forms, and information.

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ONLY students registered at their current Fairfax campus address may vote at the University Precinct located in Merten Hall on Election Day.

All other Mason students and faculty must vote at their registered home precincts, either inside the county, within the Commonwealth or your home state.

Virginia Voters: Click here to find your local polling place in VA >

Non-Virginia Voters: Click here to find your local polling place by selecting your home state >

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Disclaimer: This post is intended to provide important voting information for Mason students, but always refer to the official Virginia Department of Elections website for the most accurate and up-to-date voter information and guidelines: elections.virginia.gov

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Photo by: Alexis Glenn/Creative Services

Monday may be a holiday, but don’t forget that the Virginia voter registration deadline is Tuesday, October 15, 2024!

Don’t forget to register or verify: elections.virginia.gov/registration/how-to-register

VA Citizen Registration Portal: elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal

If you have already registered in Virginia:

Check your registration and confirm that you are registered at your current address, find your polling location, or update your registration online at elections.virginia.gov before Oct. 15, 2024.

If you need to register in Virginia:

Qualifications for voter registration: US Citizen, resident of Virginia, will be 18 years old on or before November 5, 2024 (if you are 17, you can still register and vote if you turn 18 on or before Election Day), have valid ID, and not currently convicted of a felony or judged as mentally incapacitated and disqualified to vote. Click here to learn more about voter eligibility in Virginia >

Voter Registration Deadline: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 is the deadline to register to vote or update an existing registration. Learn more: elections.virginia.gov/registration

• NEW: Voters may register through Election Day, and vote using a provisional ballot. Click here to learn more about same day voter registration >

Paper Registration: Click here to access a printable PDF Virginia Voter Registration Application >

Register Online: You may submit your registration and absentee ballot requests online, but only if you have a Virginia DMV record:

• If you have a Virginia driver’s license, you can register online. Go to: elections.virginia.gov and use the secured citizen’s portal. It takes about 2 minutes to register online, you will need your Virginia driver’s license number. The last day to register or update your registration to be eligible to vote in the Nov. 5 General and Special Elections is Oct. 15 postmarked by mail or in person by 5:00 p.m., or online by 11:59 p.m.
• If you don’t have a Virginia driver’s license, go to elections.virginia.gov to fill in the registration form, print it, sign it, and send it to the Department of Elections by mail. Your registration form must be postmarked by Oct.15, 2024.

Students living on the Mason’s Fairfax campus: You may register to vote from your campus address and provide your current resident hall name and dorm number. You will need to change this voting address when you move.

When registering or updating your existing Virginia voter registration:

• Provide your current residence hall’s physical building address (including your residence hall name and room number) as your RESIDENCE (Question #2) on the voter registration application, AND provide your Hub mailing address (4450 Rivanna River Way, PMB #, Fairfax, VA 22030) as your MAILING ADDRESS (Question #4) on the voter registration application.

Don’t know the physical address of your residence hall? Click here to find it on the list >

If you need to register outside Virginia:

Visit vote.gov and select your home state or territory to access local voter registration deadlines, forms, and information.

_____________________________________________________________

ONLY students registered at their current Fairfax campus address may vote at the University Precinct located in Merten Hall on Election Day.

All other Mason students and faculty must vote at their registered home precincts, either inside the county, within the Commonwealth or your home state.

Virginia Voters: Click here to find your local polling place in VA >

Non-Virginia Voters: Click here to find your local polling place by selecting your home state >

_____________________________________________________________

Disclaimer: This post is intended to provide important voting information for Mason students, but always refer to the official Virginia Department of Elections website for the most accurate and up-to-date voter information and guidelines: elections.virginia.gov

Update: Watch video of the October 15th Nonpartisan Voter Engagement Webinar

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Nonpartisan Voter Engagement Webinar

Date: Tuesday, October 15th, 2024

Time: 8:00-9:00pm

Hosted by: Iota Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Theta Rho Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc.

Moderator: Philip Wilkerson

Event Description: Join us for a webinar on voter engagement and participation titled “Everyone Has a Voice, Everyone Has a Vote,” hosted by the Iota Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated and the Theta Rho Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Incorporated. Moderated by Brother Philip Wilkerson, this discussion features a panel of Black male participants sharing their diverse experiences as engaged citizens in the voting process. While not all guests are affiliated with Alpha Phi Alpha, they will provide valuable insights on how to get involved, raise awareness about voting, and offer tips for learning about candidates and navigating the voting process. With Virginia holding elections every year and the national election approaching on November 5th, this webinar is an essential opportunity to prepare and make informed voting decisions.

Cao vs. Kaine

Incumbent Virginia Senator Tim Kaine (D) faced off against challenger Hung Cao (R) at 7pm EDT on Wednesday, October 2nd in a live debate hosted by WAVY on the campus of Norfolk State University.

Click here to learn more about Democrat Tim Kaine >

Click here to learn more about Republican Hung Cao >

You can watch a replay of Wednesday’s debate via wavy.com or thehill.com.

https://www.wavy.com/virginia-senate-debate/virginia-senate-debate-kaine-cao-to-face-off-wednesday-night/

https://thehill.com/video-clips/4912086-watch-live-tim-kaine-hung-cao-virginia-senate-debate-nexstar/

Mason Celebrates Freedom & Voting

On September 17th, George Mason students, faculty, and staff celebrated Constitution Day and National Voter Registration Day with multiple events on the Fairfax campus. Mason Votes, University Libraries, and the Office of Community Engagement and Civic Learning (CECIL) teamed up to host a National Voter Registration Day event on Wilkins Plaza, passing out t-shirts, buttons, and stickers to encourage students to get engaged in the 2024 election. The League of Women Voters was also on hand registering students to vote.

Learn More About National Voter Registration Day: nationalvoterregistrationday.org

Student Media hosted Mason’s Constitution Day celebration in The Hub Corner Pocket with a variety of activities including a prize wheel, trivia questions, free pocket Constitutions, a chance to sign a copy of the Constitution, and the Preamble Scramble where students race to assemble puzzle pieces with the text of the Constitution’s Preamble in the correct order.

Constitution Day Resource Page: studentmedia.gmu.edu/constitutionday

Constitution Day 2024:

National Voter Registration Day 2024:

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Credits:

Photos, Videos, and Interviews by: Mitchell Richtmyre

Voiceover: Ximena Espinoza

Video Editor: Patrice Pannell

Tim Walz vs. J.D. Vance

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) will debate Ohio Senator J.D. Vance (R) for the first and only time tonight at the CBS Broadcast Center in Midtown Manhattan. This is widely believed to be the final debate of the 2024 campaign, so the stakes are high for both candidates to leave voters with a positive impression of their respective tickets.

CBS News recently released the official debate rules, noting that the candidates “will be introduced by the moderators beginning with the candidate of the incumbent party, meaning Walz will be introduced first.” There will be no opening statements or live audience.

According to the debate rules, “the candidate who was asked the question will have two minutes to answer, and the other candidate will be allowed two minutes to respond. Following that, each candidate will have one minute for additional rebuttals. And the moderators may at their discretion give candidates an additional minute each to continue a topic.”

Click here to learn more about each VP candidate’s position on the issues via guides.vote >

There is a Mason VP debate watch party happening on campus (scroll down for details), so consider joining your fellow Patriots to watch this historic political event in community with others!

VP Debate Details:

• Host: CBS News
• Date: Tuesday, October 1, 2024
• Time: 9:00pm EDT (the debate will run 90 minutes with two four-minute commercial breaks)
  
• Location: CBS Broadcast Center in New York, NY
• Moderators: Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan of CBS News
• Where to Watch: The debate will air live on CBS News. Find your local station here. Click here for more viewing options >

VP Presidential Debate Watch Party:

• Date: Tuesday, October 1, 2024
• Time: 8:45pm-11pm
• Location: Johnson Center Atrium (Fairfax Campus)
• Host: University Life/Mason Votes
• Free pizza!

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Photos credits:

Walz Official Portrait: https://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/press-kit/

Vance Official Portrait: https://www.vance.senate.gov/about/

Both images are in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code. These files have been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights.