UMBC has launched two exciting new Election 2024 resources that affirm the university’s commitment to civic engagement and benefit both our campus community and the greater Maryland region.

UMBC Poll

As a public university, UMBC takes pride in providing high quality research and analysis that serves the greater good. In August, UMBC launched the Institute of Politics (IoP) to bring more political research and insights into Maryland elections. The inaugural UMBC Poll, released in two parts on October 8 and 9, surveyed residents and voters in the Baltimore metro region and   statewide, and gauged the attitudes of Maryland adults and voters on topics critical to the coming election such as candidate preferences for U.S. Senate and Presidential matchups, job approval ratings for Governor Wes Moore, key economic indicators, and issues and reasons driving voter choices.

Featuring the expertise of IoP Director Mileah Kromer, the inaugural UMBC Poll was covered widely in state and national news outlets, including the New York Times,  Baltimore Sun, the Washington Post, and Fox News.

Election Central

Also in October, UMBC launched Election Central, a website that provides visitors with relevant information to participate in the coming election. The site includes links to voter registration, guidelines about exercising free speech on campus, and a civic engagement toolkit where students and others can find voting information, mail-in ballot drop-off locations on campus, and more.

The civic participation information on Election Central is largely the work of UMBC’s Center for Democracy and Civic Life, a student-facing campus organization that helps individuals and groups develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to contribute to a thriving democracy.

Election Central also contains resources for the news media, with information on UMBC faculty, staff, and students who are ready to speak to reporters about election-related issues.

Students like Vunnathi Ankem, a psychology major, Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar, and vice president of the Honors College Council, says projects like Election Central help students take their rightful seat at the public affairs table.

“College students have access to a wealth of knowledge,” says Ankem, “It is both our right and responsibility to serve our communities when we can.”