Register for Columbia Voting Week's 2022 Events!

Voting Week offers the Columbia community perspectives from a vast range of backgrounds to discuss democracy around the world, civic engagement in the United States, and issues around voting. Join us for a week of lunch and dinner events from Tuesday, September 27th to Friday, September 30th! At every event, attendees will be able to register to vote. Vegetarian, vegan, kosher, and halal food options will also be provided at each event. 

View this year's lineup of events and register for the events via Eventbrite.

Keynote Speaker: NY State Senator Jessica Ramos - Understanding Voting Rights

Tuesday, September 27th, ***7:00-8:00 PM in Lerner Hall Broadway Room

***Time has changed from previously announced 6:30-7:30 PM***

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Jessica Ramos is the New York State Senator from District 13 in Queens, NYC, and was born and raised in Astoria. She currently serves as the Chair of the Committee on Labor. Join us for a Q&A with Senator Ramos on her journey to becoming a State Senator and local and federal issues with voting! Voting Week committee members will lead a short discussion with Ramos, and then audience members will have a chance to ask the Senator any questions they have. 

Political Teach-In: Working on a Political Campaign

Wednesday, September 28th, 6:00-7:00 PM in Lerner Hall Broadway Room

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Join us for a Q&A about behind-the-scenes work on political campaigns! Employees of the New York State Democratic Party will speak about their work on elections, campaigns, and outreach. Kevin Groh, Coordinated Campaign Director, and Christian Romero, Regional Political Director and Deputy Director of Latino Outreach, will answer questions about how they got involved in the "world" of political campaigns and tell stories from the campaign trail. Audience members will get a chance to ask Groh and Romero any questions they have.

Midterm Madness: Unpacking the November Elections with Columbia Professors

Wednesday, September 28th, 7:00-8:00 PM in Lerner Hall Broadway Room

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Join Columbia Voting Week and esteemed Columbia professors Michael Miller and Robert Shapiro as they dissect the upcoming midterm elections. Whether you are a political expert or have had little political exposure, this event is a perfect way to broaden your understanding of crucial issues at stake in the elections and how the midterm elections could impact your daily life. 

Activist Teach-In: Leaders of Change - From the Eyes of Student Activists

Friday, September 30th, 2:30-3:30 PM in Lerner Hall Satow Room

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Join Columbia Voting Week in learning from a panel of three student activists. Representatives from three student groups will share their experiences working with and against the Columbia University administration, finding opportunities for activism on and off campus, and facing success and failures in their work.

Q&A Panel: Understanding the Drivers and Politics of Climate Migration

Friday, September 30th, 3:45-4:45 PM in Lerner Hall Satow Room

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Join Columbia Voting Week and Professor Kian Tajbakhsh, chair of the Committee on Forced Migration, to answer your questions about climate refugees and the domestic and international response. How do we ensure political accountability on behalf of displaced people who often cannot vote? There will also be time for audience questions and general mingling.

About Us

Columbia Voting Week is a nonpartisan organization that encourages students at Columbia to vote and stay civically engaged through other means. Check out our Instagram and visit our Facebook to stay posted on what we're up to. You can get involved by reaching out to cuvotingweek@gmail.com or votingweek@columbia.edu.

Voting Week began as the idea of former Columbia Political Union president David Kang '15. Kang envisioned a weeklong celebration of civic engagement on campus to drum up voter registration and political awareness at Columbia. In the years since, Voting Week has offered the Columbia community perspectives from a vast range of backgrounds to discuss democracy around the world, civic engagement in the United States, and issues around voting. The Voting Week committee recognizes that many members of the Columbia community are not able to vote in U.S. elections, and has strived to also offer learning experiences and opportunities for civic engagement that do not depend upon one’s ability to vote. 

During the week, student volunteers help members of the community file for absentee ballots and register to vote. Voting Week has been proud to host speakers including Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, New York City Mayor David Dinkins, Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan Barham Salih, and many other distinguished guests. Voting Week has also successfully registered hundreds of students to vote in their home districts.

Columbia Voting Week wouldn’t be here if not for our dedicated committee!

• Co-Chairs: Easten Young and Nina Liloia
• Marketing and Communications Manager: Ria Mavinkurve
• Committee Members:
  • ​Anusha Merchant
  • Anushka Pai
  • Beatrix Holstine
  • Charlie Bonkowsky
  • Charlotte Hoskins
  • Emma Sherman-Hawver
  • Grant Baxter
  • Ileane Barrrea
  • Jamie Baker
  • Lucy King
  • Matias Hernandez
  • Michelle Chen
  • Nicole Wong
  • Yeibin Andrews

Register to Vote!

Register to vote on TurboVote. You can also check your registration status if you’re not sure you’re registered, and you can turn on election reminders.