NIU Huskies Vote hosted a presidential debate watch party on Tuesday, Sept. 10 in the Huskie Den at the Holmes Student Center in DeKalb.
NIU’s democratic engagement action plan for the 2024 election cycle focuses on three primary areas: voter registration, voter education, and voter turnout.
Nearly 100 hundred students turned out for the watch party featuring popcorn and bingo cards. Before the debate itself, a panel discussion covered the history of presidential debate and how they have changed over time, and what role they play in motivating voters to the polls.
Panelists included:
o Peter Medlin, Education Policy Reporter, WNIJ
o Dr. Mitchell Pickerill, Professor of Political Science at NIU
o Dr. Matt Streb, NIU’s Chief Strategy Officer/ Liaison for the Board of Trustees, and Professor of Political Science
o Cynthia de Seife, DeKalb County League of Women Voters
WNIJ also asked students questions developed by America Amplified, a community engagement journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The questions included:
What issue is most important to you in the upcoming elections?
Where do you get your election news and information?
How do you think reporters can cover elections better?
Here's what we heard:
- We learned students care about housing security and being able to find and afford housing after college.
- We heard from students who care about the protection of civil rights.
- Students told us they care about the economy, reproductive rights, and freedom of religion.
- They also told us they care about LGBTQ+ marriage protections, immigration, education, and voting rights.
- Students told us they get their news from a variety of apps and platforms including TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, NewsBreak and Ground News aggregators, New York Times, New Yorker, X, NBC, Associated Press, and podcasts.
- Students told us they want news that is unbiased, more neutral, nonpartisan, with better explanations of what is happening, and a more positive outlook on the state of the country.
- Students told us they want to hear opposing views that don't just reflect their own personal views.
Our next event will be a virtual panel featuring DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder Tasha Sims and Matt Dietrich with the Illinois State Board of Elections, moderated by the League of Women Voters of DeKalb County.
Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. streaming live at wnij.org
Help shape the conversation! Submit your questions about election integrity here.