The Lamar University Department of Communication and Media will celebrate “Democracy Day” from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Communication Building on campus.
Democracy Day is a non-partisan effort to better inform Americans about our democracy, to provide the public with context and information, and to incentivize learning through media on the national and local level to inform communities about everyday democracy in action around them.
The University Press student newspaper, the Press Club of Southeast Texas and the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office are supporting partners in this endeavor and will emphasize educating students about changes in Texas voting requirements and exhibiting the county’s new voting machines.
“This event coincides with International Democracy Day,” Department of Communication and Media instructor Stephan Malick said. “Sometimes we take for granted how democracy is in action around us on a daily basis and this is an opportunity to celebrate and interact with civic responsibilities.”
The event will focus on voting and voting registration. Texas turnout was 66.73% of registered voters in 2020 according to the Texas Secretary of State’s office. That represented 52% of the voting age population. The state ranked 45th in voter turnout in 2020, a 9% percent increase from 2016.
A certified State of Texas voter registrar will be on hand for students wanting to register to vote for the November 8 election. The voter registration deadline is October 11 for this year’s election.
“Students will be able to ask questions about how to cast their votes,” Malick said. “Many students are away from their homes and where they originally registered to vote, and may have questions about mail-in ballots and other issues.”
For more information contact Stephan Malick at smalick@lamar.edu or (409) 880-8102.