About

Jennifer Nicoll Victor, Associate Professor of Political Science at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, describes the current state of voting and elections in the U.S.and outlines the most effective actions that citizens can take to protect their voting rights.

Drawing on insights from leading political theorists, Professor Victor dispels myths about what democracy is, why it is valuable, and what role voting and elections play in democratic states. Next, she examines the practice of voting, including a consideration of why people choose to vote -- or choose not to, while discussing such questions as: What purpose does voting serve? How can integrity and security be ensured in election administration, while broad suffrage protections are still kept in place? How vulnerable are U.S. voting practices to de-legitimizing threats? Finally, Professor Victor shares steps citizens can take to help ensure free and fair elections in the United States.

This is a non-partisan lecture based on state-of-the-art social scientific literature on elections and voting. Please note that the topics covered in this lecture might be updated by the speaker.