The Center for Civic Engagement at New England College (NEC) will host more than 1,000 college students and other young civic-minded leaders at College Convention 2020. The Convention coincides with the NH First-in-the-Nation Presidential Primary and will take place at the DoubleTree Manchester Downtown Hotel January 5 to 9, 2020.
Event producers say the Convention is a one-of-a-kind experience of political conventioneering, campaign volunteer opportunities, and visits from presidential candidates and campaign staff, members of the media, and political experts.
The Convention offers newer voters the opportunity to come face-to-face with the people, issues, and processes that shape presidential primary campaigns.
"Young people are poised to become the largest voting bloc in American history, and presidential campaigns are smart to pay attention," says Molly Lunn Owen, executive director of the NH Young Democrats. "Young voters understand our power and our responsibility leading up to the 2020 presidential primary. There's a tangible urgency for young people to get involved and make our voices heard on critical issues affecting our shared future."
The capstone of the Convention will be a ranked choice voting ballot, where every registrant can vote for their top candidates with a presentation of the results by Dr. Nathan Shrader, chair of the Department of Government and Politics and director of the American Studies Program at Millsaps College.
“Students experience it all,” says Dr. Wayne Lesperance, co-director of the Convention and vice president of Academic Affairs and Professor of Political Science at NEC. “They meet and ask questions of candidates, witness the frenzy of media, engage with political experts, and get involved in the process with a ranked choice voting poll and campaign volunteering.”
Registration is open. Details can be found at www.necfitn.com and updates are posted to Facebook and Twitter by @CollegeCon2020.
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