In the spirit of making every voice heard during the election season, University of Houston-Downtown will host two events centering on the 2020 election season. The Candidate Meet and Greet will take place on Oct. 28 from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m., followed by Walk 2 Vote at 12 p.m. Both events will take place virtually, although a small gathering of Student Government Association officers will be on campus for a limited Walk 2 Vote demonstration.

The Candidate Meet and Greet, hosted by the Center for Public Deliberation (CPD) and Student Government Association (SGA), brings together dozens of election candidates to speak with students, alumni, faculty, staff, administration, and community members to deliberate “’We the People’ in 21st Century Politics.” 

A list of participating candidates is located here.

Register by Monday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. to participate.  

Election candidates and participants will come together in small, online break-out rooms in five different rounds to talk about how to create stronger communities through engagement. Each round, candidates will engage with approximately 50 people in small-group discussions. The event is open to both the UHD community and the public. 

Participants are asked to arrive at 9:15 a.m. to minimize technical difficulties for a prompt 9:30 a.m. start time. The virtual rooms will lock at 10 a.m. due to deliberation logistics. 

The agenda is as follows:

Opening Remarks (9:30 – 9:45 a.m.): Welcome by UHD Interim President Antonio Tillis, Ph.D. CPD Director Windy Lawrence will introduce the ground rules and start the conversation.

Round 1 (9:45 – 10 a.m.): Candidates and participants discuss the personal impact of politics.

Round 2 (10 -10:20 a.m.): What are the strengths and limitations of focusing on our individual needs and families in building stronger communities? 

Round 3 (10:20 -10:40 a.m.): What are the strengths and limitations of focusing on increasing informed voting to build stronger communities? 

Round 4 (10:40 -11 a.m.): What are the strengths and limitations of finding ways to work better with each other and our leaders to build stronger communities? 

Round 5 (11 – 11:30 a.m.): Participants will reflect on the deliberation and the actions individuals can take and help build stronger communities. 

A detailed issue guide for students to partake in the conversations is available online.

Afterward, Walk 2 Vote, hosted by SGA, will take place. Walk 2 Vote is an annual event created by UHD, and even though the event is virtual this year, that does not diminish the responsibility to remain civically engaged.

Students are encouraged to post photos and videos of their voting experience or the "I Voted" sticker using the hashtag #UHDWalk2Vote. Participants will receive a "Walk 2 Vote" t-shirt. The social media channels associated with Walk 2 Vote are Instagram (@uhdofficial, @SGAUHD and @uhd_studentactivities) and Twitter (@uhdowntown).