Elections 2024 is an ongoing class that follows federal and state elections in the U.S., as well as updates on significant international elections.  The class will focus on primaries, any legal developments concerning election issues (such as redistricting), party conventions, debates, campaigns, ads, polls, and results.  Each week through the end of 2024, there will be significant issues involving elections, and we will cover these as they occur.  

The schedule framework will start with scheduled events, such as primaries and conventions.  We will then add information as it arises as the year progresses.  As we discuss various elements in our electoral system, students will learn how each works.  For instance, when we discuss primaries, we will differentiate between open, closed, and semi-closed primaries, and learners will be able to share their opinions about the pros and cons of each type of primary.

With each successive week, we will begin to see more and more polls, but to understand the meaning of poll data, we will have to dive into the characteristics of each poll.  Who was interviewed (adults, eligible voters, registered voters, likely voters, very like voters)?  How many were interviewed?  What questions were asked?  Does the pollster (often a company) have a “lean?”  What is the margin of error?  Has the pollster received a “grade” from any meta-analysts?

As the class moves into the fall, there will be no more primaries or conventions, so polls, debates, and news developments will take center stage.  I will regularly update the classroom page with resources for upcoming classes, as there will likely be a very active month or two leading up to the election.  After the election, we will continue to meet to discuss lingering vote totals, states that are not called on election night (perhaps, no national call either), Electoral College dates and actions, and the run-up to certification by the House of Representatives.

The first four sessions of the class will be:

Week of May 22:  We will analyze the results of the Idaho, Montana (Republican only), Kentucky, and Oregon (Democratic only) primaries, which will have been completed in the week prior to this first session.  While the nominations are locked up for both major parties, there are important issues embedded within primary results that can help us understand trends in voters’ thinking.  We will cover the differences between open, closed, and semi-closed (also called mixed) primaries.  Finally, we will look at the current state of national and state polls around the date of class.

Week of May 29:  We will begin by discussing the only primary contest in the week prior to the second session, the Oregon closed Republican convention.  Since this will be a light week for primary discussions, we will preview the rest of the primary season and discuss news and legal developments that may affect the election.  We will also examine any information that becomes available about presidential debates that may be scheduled by the week of the second session.

Week of June 5:  We will discuss the slate of five primaries that will take place on June 4—South Dakota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Montana, and the District of Columbia.  Senate primaries in two of those states (Montana and New Jersey) will occupy some of our discussion, as those seats will be significant in determining control of the next Senate.
Week of June 12:  We will discuss the Guam Democratic Caucus and the Virgin Islands Democratic primary, which will combine for a total of 13 delegates.  While the impact of these contests is minor in the overall national picture, they are a last chance for voters to make a statement.  We will then discuss issues surrounding the party conventions, including any potential changes to the Democratic Convention schedule since Ohio may not put President Biden on the ballot if he is not officially nominated by the party prior to a deadline that falls before the convention.  We will also discuss the current state of the polls and what we may expect to see over the coming weeks.  

Each successive week will cover developments and news related to the national and state elections that will occur in November.  The class will not focus on political opinions, but on an academic analysis and explanation of the mechanisms of elections and historical voter behavior.  

Data for discussions of election results will come from an aggregate of reputable news organizations as well as state election official sites (often under secretaries of state).  Information about polls will include raw data from pollsters (New York Times, Quinnipiac, Sienna, Emerson, news networks, Rasmussen, etc.), meta-analysis by organizations such as Fivethirtyeight and Realclearpolitics.  Historical voting totals will come from U.S. government agencies, as well as mapping sites, such as 270towin.com. 
 
This class, like nearly all of my classes, will be taught in a Socratic Discussion format, meaning that I will provide materials for class to get discussions going.  There will be open-ended questions to encourage students to improve their critical and analytical thinking skills.