University of Wyoming
10/07/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/07/2024 11:39
UW to Host ‘The Evolution and the Future of Voting’ Lecture Oct. 15
As part of its "Challenges to Democracy" lecture series, the University of Wyoming School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies will host its third lecture at UW, "From Paper to Pixels: The Evolution and the Future of Voting," Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 4:30 p.m. in the Wyoming Union Family Room.
The lecture features Commissioner Thomas Hicks of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and will be moderated by Ryan Williamson, a UW assistant professor of political science.
Hicks was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate Dec. 16, 2014, to serve on the EAC. He currently serves as the designated federal officer of the Board of Advisors.
Under Hicks' leadership, the EAC developed a pocket-sized voter card that serves as a guide on voting rights for voters with disabilities. The card is provided in both Braille and large print, and the EAC has worked with advocacy groups and election officials to distribute the card.
He is a frequent speaker at conferences in the U.S. and overseas on issues such as voter access, cybersecurity and election official safety.
Williamson joined the faculty at UW in 2023. Before starting at UW, he spent time in Washington, D.C., working as a congressional fellow in the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and as a governance fellow at a think tank focused on institutional reforms designed to increase efficiency and effectiveness in Congress and elections.
His primary areas of expertise include electoral politics, electoral institutions, election administration and legislative procedure.
He published a book with Oxford University Press titled "Nationalized Politics: Evaluating Electoral Politics Across Time."
More information on the remaining events that will take place on campus and in Casper is available here.
The events are free and open to the public. The school expresses thanks to co-sponsors at UW and around Wyoming.
To learn more about UW's School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies, go to www.uwyo.edu/sppais.
For more information, email lecture series co-organizers and UW Professors Jean Garrison at [email protected] or Andrew Garner at [email protected].