2024 Post-Election Campus

Resource And Response Guide

This resource has been updated from the 2020 version that was developed by the
Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) Coalition’s Resources and Support Working Group,
and Ask Every Student.

The framework for this resource was developed in October of 2020 when over 100
stakeholders – primarily campus administrators and faculty members – in the nonpartisan
student voting space came together to ideate around the question, “How might we
prepare to support campus stakeholders in processing and responding to a
tumultuous post-election season?” This document is a synthesis of their ideas for how
best to address that challenge with information updated to fit the context of the 2024
election. We’ve provided helpful resources that can support you and your community in
enacting these ideas, though this is by no means an exhaustive list.

The 2024 version of this resource was developed by the SLSV Coalition and the ALL IN
Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN). We’d like to also thank and acknowledge Nancy
Thomas, Senior Advisor to the President of AAC&U and Executive Director of the Institute
for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE) for her input.

This is a live document that is primarily meant for campus administrators and faculty
members and will be updated with more resources over time.

Under each of the sections listed below in the Table of Contents, we offer suggestions
for addressing the potential areas of concern listed here that may pose a challenge in the
2024 post-election period.

● Mitigating unrest & violence

● Managing distrust in election outcomes
● Addressing emotional distress among students, faculty, staff, and leaders
● Safeguarding campus climates and intergroup relationships
● Combating disinformation

1
Table of Contents
➔ Prepare partnerships ahead of time.

➔ Instill confidence in election results.

➔ Allow time and space for processing.

➔ Facilitate opportunities for healing.

➔ Hold spaces for discussion and sharing perspectives.

➔ Move towards action.

➔ Other resources.

Prepare partnerships ahead of time.

Campus vote coordinators cannot and should not do this work alone. This work should
not rest solely on the shoulders of the folks who have been leading your nonpartisan
voter engagement efforts through your campus’s voting coalition as they will likely be
burnt out after Election Day. Instead, we encourage higher education institutions to
involve relevant stakeholders across the campus that can support processing, reflection,
engagement, and messaging.

● Bring campus administration into the conversation. Work with your institution’s
administration to prepare strong statements about the importance of equity and
inclusivity, express explicit support for marginalized groups, backed by actionable
steps to strengthen all units of the institution.
● Work with various departments across the division and university to offer
programs that share different perspectives related to areas of student concern.
(Offices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Center for Trans and Queer Advocacy;
Center for Women and Gender Equity, Wellness, etc.)
● Partner with your wellness/counseling center now. Be mindful that they may
already be preparing to support students and may have a lot on their plates.
Collaborate on creating a post-election plan that can meet everyone’s needs.
● Work with staff and faculty centers, caucuses, or organizations to plan a space
and structure to support staff and faculty in processing their own emotions and
preparing to hold dialogue with students.
● Train student leaders to address concerns/fears specifically with regards to the
election/post-election and make sure they know where they can direct their peers
for additional support. Some of the groups to connect with include resident

2
 advisors, fraternity and sorority life leaders, student-athletes, peer mentors, and
student activities leadership.
● Work with faculty from political science and psychology departments to provide
expertise in their areas around electoral processes and coping mechanisms.
● Coordinate with your campus Communications and Marketing professionals to
support messaging to students about the election. This could include information
about support services, how to understand election results and the certification of
the vote, as well as the celebration of students participating in elections
throughout 2024.
● Collaborate with your local election officials to receive accurate and up-to-date
information about the electoral process and to ensure students' votes are
protected and validated. You can also bring in local nonpartisan electoral agencies
such as the League of Women Voters into this process.
● If possible, compensate professionals to lead processing, healing, and dialogue
workshops and spaces.

Helpful resources
● Ask Every Student’s building institutional partnerships for full participation
resources
● Election Official and Campus Engagement – Report and Toolkit
● Montclair State University’s Trauma Informed Pedagogy resource from their Office
of Faculty Excellence
● Ask the wellness/counseling center to publish resources for people needing post
election support. Here are some helpful examples from Brandeis University and
the University of Michigan.

Instill confidence in election results.

Prepare students now for a prolonged outcome. In 2020, it took major news outlets
several days to declare a presidential election winner, during which time bad actors
spread mis- and disinformation about the vote-counting process, sowing mistrust among
the electorate. While many states have made changes to speed up their vote-counting
process, results in the most competitive (and likely decisive) states in the presidential
election may still take days to count from Election Day.

On the local level, where margins are sometimes just a handful of votes, it is rare but not
unheard of for results to take weeks to certify.

3
Messages to students should emphasize that taking time to count votes will help ensure
fair elections in which results are accurately reflected. Some suggested talking points:

● Election Day is not “results day.” It takes time to count all the votes and if we don’t
know the results within 24 hours, that’s ok. It means the system is working to
ensure accuracy.

● Our ballot-counting process is meticulous, nonpartisan, and designed to ensure

accuracy, transparency, and integrity. The equipment used is tested by both major
parties, and monitored by bipartisan teams of poll workers.

● There is no changing the election results after Election Day, even if we don’t yet
know the results. Election workers are simply counting all the votes already cast.

Mitigating unrest & violence

● Be prepared to explain the legal or political options and reality of an unpeaceful
transition or a delayed election result. Make sure to frame this as something that
could happen, but isn’t a given. If possible, bring in political science faculty or
outside experts who can explain the electoral process to students and answer any
questions.
● Encourage leaders, professors, and campus-level publications to spread
information about how the electoral process actually works before the election
takes place so that the community is prepared in case of a close election and is
ready to accept the results as they are given.

Managing distrust in election results

● Make sure to share local election results as they come in! By focusing on local
results that we do know, we can redirect anxious energy and instill confidence in
results.
● Encourage students to follow up on their ballot’s status and ensure their vote
gets counted. Promote ballot tracking for applicable states. Proactively connect
students to the Election Protection Hotline if they run into any issues in making
sure their vote gets counted.

Addressing emotional distress among students, faculty, staff, leaders

● Emphasize that the election process is trustworthy AND a tool for agency and
accountability.
● Emphasizing to students, faculty, and staff that all their votes will be counted in
2024, and will be again four years later, underlines the fact that the democratic
process is never-ending. The work to counteract the undesired impact of an

4
 election result can begin the moment a candidate wins their election - as can the
effort to unseat them through the same electoral process. The rightful winner will
take office based on the election results, and everyone should respect that even if
they don’t support the winning candidate.

Safeguarding campus climates and intergroup relationships

● Underline the value and legitimacy of every vote cast.
● Counter claims of voter fraud levied against any individual or group forcefully
with facts and data that show this to be a myth.
● Only acknowledge claims of fraud if they have already been made visibly in
your campus community. Otherwise, avoid introducing the topic into public
discourse.

Combating disinformation
● Elevate credible sources of information. Look to your local elections officials for
information and updates on election results.
○ Election officials page lookup.
● Help students identify misinformation and disinformation. Remind them to
always fact-check sources and that news sources may not be reliable sources
when it comes to election results.
● Help students learn about the Electoral College process. Understanding helps
demystify the process. Note that the 1887 Electoral Count Act requires all states to
have all ballots counted by 41 days after the election, so regardless of what
happens immediately following, the public will know the results by mid-December.
● Be proactive! Seek out questions before the election from students, faculty, and
staff about how elections are administered, and answer them using verified
sources. In other words, eliminate information gaps before disinformation can set
in.

Helpful resources
● United States Election Assistance Commission’s resource Election Results,
Canvass, and Certification
● Issue One’s Election Integrity Toolkit
● Voting Rights Lab & Secure Elections USA: Talking Points to Sustain Trust in Our
Elections
● Election Protection Hotline (Text or Call 866-OUR-VOTE/866-687-8683 or Tweet
@866OUR VOTE)
● Ideas42 Guide to Responding to Misinformation
● National Taskforce on Election Crises
● Why Some States Will Take Longer Than Others from Vote at Home

5
 ● Brennan Center Report: The Myth of Voter Fraud
● Civic Alliance 2020 Post-Election Day and Election Day Guide
● National Voter Education Week: Understand the Process

Allow time and space for processing.

It’s important that all campus community members (not just students!) have the space to
process the outcomes of the election before having to engage in potentially difficult
dialogue. The results of the election will impact campus community members differently.
Processing can take place individually, one-on-one, in small groups, or collectively. Make
sure to factor in the possibility of a prolonged outcome and certification of results in
planning spaces and events for processing.

Mitigating unrest & violence

● Share a variety of opportunities for students to process their feelings related to
the election widely, to help students express themselves healthily and safely,
based on the ideas below that your campus chooses to execute.

Addressing emotional distress among students, faculty, staff, leaders

● Create brave spaces in classrooms, social spaces, clubs, etc. for students to
openly process information. But don't make this required! Some students may not
want to openly process with others.
● Provide processing spaces for students to come and talk with trusted staff/faculty
about their feelings.
● Don't try and "fix" students' anxiety but provide spaces where students can hold
the tension and discomfort. Let them know it’s OK for them to feel the way that
they do.
● Release the power from yourself and other staff and present yourselves as allies,
friends, support, or whatever else the students you interact with feel is
appropriate.
● Make affinity spaces available facilitated by staff from the Counseling Center and
those trained in DEI and trauma-informed care if possible. Work with leaders of
marginalized communities to co-create these affinity spaces.
● Provide guidance and training for faculty and staff leading these spaces in
advance of the election to prepare them to host processing spaces, including on
how to take care of themselves while supporting students through this time.
● Ask people “What are your hopes and dreams going forward from this point?”
This question helps keep people on a constructive path.

6
For Faculty & Staff Specifically:
● Create dedicated spaces for faculty and staff members with trained facilitators,
ideally with counseling and trauma-informed care experience, especially for those
faculty and staff most likely to be engaged in facilitating the above spaces and/or
holding space for students to share their feelings.

Helpful Resources
● From Safe Spaces to Brave Spaces
● Student Affairs Now Podcast: Cultivating Brave Spaces with Kristi Clemens and Dr.
Brian Arao
● Braver Angels’ With Malice Towards None is an initiative to help groups of people
who are “distressed” at the results, as well as “delighted” to consider how to move
forward as a country after a very divisive election.

Facilitate opportunities for healing.

Many campus community members may need access to mental health resources during
this time. Be intentional about creating spaces and opportunities for healing. Partner with
counseling and wellness centers and psychology faculty to help with this, and ensure
that folks providing mental health support are trained and have access to their own
mental health support as well.

Addressing emotional distress among students, faculty, staff, leaders

● Prepare and provide a resource guide for on-campus and off-campus mental
health resources, including resiliency and anxiety management resources.
● Create pre-election and post-election programming or resources on coping
mechanisms and healing processes.
● Ensure that all campus community members have access to free resources
through counseling centers, especially after election day through the end of the
fall term.
● Make sure student and campus leaders know how to access mental health
resources that they can direct their fellow students to. Partner with student
organizations and other campus leaders to publicize these resources, especially
to those who engage with the most marginalized communities on campus.
Suggest that individuals confer with campus HR or Insurance policies to be
directed to long-term mental health services as well.
● Plan de-stressing activities like yoga, meditation, and therapy animal visits.
● Make sure resource guides and webinar suggestions include the processing
spaces created through the guidance in the above section, as well as options

7
 and resources for one-on-one counseling for folks who cannot or do not wish to
participate in group processing.

Helpful resources:
● The Management Center’s Building Your Emotional Resilience Muscle
● 7Cups for online therapy and free counseling
● Community Care Post-Election Toolkit by J Vu Mai
● Headspace’s Politics Without Panic: Your election season survival guide

Hold spaces for discussions and sharing perspectives.

Faculty, staff, and student leaders will end up facilitating difficult and sensitive
conversations with students after the election. While you shouldn’t mandate that every
faculty or staff member needs to participate in or facilitate these conversations, for those
who want to do this, you can set them up for success.

● Let students decide whether to talk politics right after the election. While some
students will want to debrief the election immediately, others might be tired of
talking politics. Faculty should discuss with their students what they want to do
well before Election Day. Set ground rules in advance. Aim for discussion, not a
lecture.
● Identify the purpose or expectations of discussions in advance (e.g., relationship
building, active listening). Different goals might call for different approaches and
framing.
● Train students, faculty, and staff to facilitate politically charged discussions.
This is not as easy as it sounds. Bring in experienced facilitators to train a cohort
of discussion leaders on how to frame a discussion, build relationships, ask the
best questions, and navigate moments of tension or conflict.
● Involve facilitators who reflect diversity in identity, ideology, and lived
experiences. Consider using co-facilitators.
● Set group agreements or ground rules in advance. We have some favorites:
“listen for understanding,” “assume goodwill,” “ask questions of each other,” and
“share responsibility for making this discussion work for everyone.”
● Develop and test discussion questions or exercises in advance. Practice! This is
also a good way to give faculty, staff, and student facilitators an opportunity to
experience the process themselves. Consider that facilitators need space to
process what happened too.
● Facts matter, especially in an educational environment. Opinions are fine, but it’s
OK to say they need to be evidence-based.

8
 ● Approach discussions with an equity lens. Strive for diversity and
representativeness of discussion participants. Be aware of who gets to talk the
most. It’s OK to discuss ideas, policies, and preferences, but bashing groups or
individuals is not. Take a stand for humanity and inclusion. The US is a diverse
nation where everyone should share responsibility for each other’s success,
well-being, and sense of belonging.

Helpful resources:
● IDHE Report: Readiness for Discussing Democracy in Supercharged Political
Times
● IDHE’s Facilitating Political Discussions: A Facilitator Training Workshop Guide
● For faculty, staff, and institutional leaders: IDHE’s Campus Conflict and
Conversation Help Desk
● Campus Compact: Better Discourse: A Guide for Bridging Campus Divides in
Challenging Times
● James Madison University: Facilitating Difficult Election Conversations
● Constructive Dialogue Institute: Maintaining Campus Community During the 2024
Election
● Constructive Dialogue Institute: 2024 Election Dialogue Playbook

Move towards action.

We encourage you to provide students with opportunities for civic action, not just
discussion. Prepare tangible actions that students can take to stay engaged and prepare
to support student activists.

Mitigating unrest & violence

● Provide opportunities for action after the election. Opportunities for civic
engagement don’t end on Election Day. Share productive strategies for dealing
with concerns - letter writing campaigns, organizations to work with, how to
contact their elected officials, how to lobby elected officials, how to safely protest,
volunteer, and how to use creative expression.
● Prepare for student activism and potential conflict. There are a number of
scenarios that could arise that may end in conflict. Be intentional about
encouraging nonviolent student participation while maintaining a safe and
inclusive campus environment.

9
 ● Encourage counterprogramming instead of counter-protests. A counter-program
can draw attention away from a controversial speaker or event and has the
potential to build community at the same time.
● Lean on partnerships created before Election Day. If violence occurs on or off
campus, lean into partnerships established with public safety officials, medical
professionals, and professionals trained in mediation to support student safety.

Managing distrust in election outcomes

● Celebrate local election officials in your community. Election Hero Day,
celebrated officially on November 4 this year, provides content to show your
appreciation for election heroes, including in-person activation best practices,
resources to share on social media, and general messaging suggestions. Check
out the Election Hero Day Toolkit here!
● Check out volunteer opportunities with Election Protection! Plug into work to
help ensure this election is fair and ends in a just outcome. Many states plan to
have volunteers monitoring the canvassing and counting of ballots (and engaging
in ballot curing where possible). Participating in this side of elections, like poll
working, is a great way for students to learn how the full process of elections
works.

Addressing emotional distress among students, faculty, staff, leaders

● Help students make a plan for their next steps. How are you staying engaged
tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Next year? How are you taking time to pause,
heal, and reflect?
● Redirect energy towards supporting the local community. Highlight civic actions
that students can plug into, like volunteering in the community and joining local
organizations.

Safeguarding campus climates and intergroup relationships

● Model decency and kindness. Within and beyond the campus community, the
post-election period has the potential to put division, incivility, and indecency on
display. Model the opposite for your students through your words, actions, and
social media posts.
● Thank students for voting. The post-election period is a great time to celebrate
our democracy and voters, which can be done while remaining nonpartisan and
focusing not on election results but on the process of democracy itself. As an
example, the Maryland Institute College of Art’s Globe Press has great examples
of “Thank You for Voting” posters that can be purchased.
● Grow your nonpartisan on-campus voting coalition. Use the Ask Every Student
Coalition Building tools to learn how to best use this time to actively grow your

10
 nonpartisan student voting coalition and foster a sense of shared community
around elections.
● Get creative. Create space for campus community members to take part in
creative actions, such as an open mic, creative and expressive writing
opportunities, and spaces for artistic response. "

Combating disinformation
● Continue providing information about the election process after Election Day.
The opportunity to educate students about our election process doesn’t stop on
Election Day. Continue to provide through the classroom and social media
information about how the counting, reporting, and certification process works in
your state. Use these helpful resources from Issue One to explain how elections
work.

Helpful Resources
● Volunteering Opportunities with Election Protection
● U.S. Department of Education’s Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency
Operations Plans for Institutions of Higher Education
● ACE’s Student Voting and College Political Campaign–Related Activities in 2024
● Aliento’s DACA Resources

Other resources
● Institute for Democracy & Higher Education: Democracy Re/Designed
● ACE: Preparing for a Potentially Tumultuous Fall on Campus

Questions, thoughts, suggestions? Get in touch with us at [email protected].

This is a live document and will be updated with more resources over time.

11