CDCE, BSOS, and MDI Lead Forum on Modern Movements Expanding the Right to Vote

Experts from the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement (CDCE) and Maryland Democracy Initiative brought together faculty, scholars, advocates, students, and community members on Thursday, April 9 for “An Exploration of Modern American Suffrage Movements,” a forum focused on how voting rights continue to evolve in the United States.

Hosted in partnership with the First Year Book Initiative, and as part of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences’ inaugural BSOS Community Forum series, the speakers highlighted research practice partnerships led by BSOS faculty to explore three active movements to expand voter eligibility in the United States: restoring voting rights for people with felony convictions, extending local voting rights for non-citizen residents, and lowering the voting age to 16. The forum built on a series of workshops organized throughout the 2025-2026 academic year by CCDE Chief Strategist Sam Novey to cultivate connections between UMD scholars and community partners working to strengthen democracy.

Opening the forum, Susan Rivera, Dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS), explained why these conversations matter now more than ever, saying, “There are plenty of disagreements on how to interpret the Constitution and its amendments. But the topic that will be discussed today is the greatest tool we have for shaping the future of our country, and that’s our vote.”

Published on Wed, Apr 15, 2026 - 1:03PM