Bringing together diverse perspectives on one of the nation’s most vital topics, the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative (DCI) hosted its first Fall Forum of 2026 on “The Future of Elections: Accessibility, Security, and Fairness” on October 6.
The gathering drew approximately 160 participants from across the country. Around 80 attendees joined in person at the DCPC Congregation House in Davidson, while nearly 80 others participated virtually. The cross-generational audience included Davidson College students, alumni, faculty, staff, and local community members, along with participants representing the 24 member institutions of the Deliberative Citizenship Network (DCN).
The event marked the 22nd deliberative forum organized by the DCI since its founding in Fall 2020, and the very first to feature active participation from the broader DCN network.
Experts Explore Core Democratic Values
DCI Faculty Director Graham Bullock opened the evening by setting the stage for productive civic dialogue. Emphasizing the core mission of both the DCI and DCN, Bullock reminded participants that DCI’s forums aim to create constructive spaces for people who hold well-intentioned but fundamentally differing viewpoints.
“If we want others to understand our perspectives, then we need to be willing to listen and understand other people’s perspectives, particularly those who we deeply disagree with,” Bullock shared.
The first half of the forum featured an expert roundtable moderated by Dr. Michael Bitzer, Professor of Politics and History and Director of the Center for North Carolina Politics and Public Service at Catawba College. Bitzer framed the discussion around key democratic principles: ballot accessibility, security, accuracy, fair representation, and public trust.
The distinguished panel brought a range of national viewpoints to the table:
- Ben Ginsberg, Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and veteran election law attorney, discussed the decentralized, local nature of American elections across thousands of jurisdictions and the inherent tension between local federalism and uniform national standards.
- Tori Wenger, Attorney and Manager of the Black Voters on the Rise Initiative at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), highlighted the importance of federal safeguards to protect ballot access, meet ADA compliance, and ensure fair representation for systematically disenfranchised communities.
- Don Palmer, Senior Legal Fellow for Election Integrity at The Heritage Foundation and former U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Chairman, focused on election administration, voter roll accuracy, and balancing accessible voting options with strong security measures.
- Dustin Wahl, Executive Director of Fix Our House, advocated for structural electoral reforms, such as proportional representation, to address gerrymandering and make legislative bodies more truly representative of the electorate.
Moving from Panel to Deliberation
Unlike traditional town halls where audiences passively listen, the DCI forum required audience members to step into active deliberation.
Following the 50-minute panel, attendees transitioned into small group discussions designed to build understanding across differences. In-person participants gathered around tables of 6–7 people combining students and community members, while online attendees entered Zoom breakout rooms.
Each small group was led by DCI-trained facilitators, primarily Davidson College students, who guided participants through a structured Deliberation Guide (available below) written over the summer by DCI Senior Fellow Cavan Klein ’25, with leadership support from Assistant Director for Civil Discourse Programs Bob Ritchie.
During the small-group sessions, participants explored competing democratic values, debated the responsibilities of government versus individual voters, and weighed potential policy trade-offs regarding election accessibility and integrity. They also examined different reforms, such as proportional representation, that have been proposed to make elections more fair.
The evening concluded with closing reflections and a post-event survey, encouraging attendees to continue practicing deliberative dispositions, humility, open-mindedness, curiosity, and grace, in their daily lives and local communities.
View the full Forum and read the Deliberation Guide below
