Claim Democracy Conference Agenda
November 21-23, 2003
Washington, D.C. Convention Center and Washington College of Law

A broad coalition of pro-democracy organizations has organized a major conference on the theme of Claim Democracy: Securing, Enhancing and Exercising the Power of the Right to Vote . The conference will take place in Washington, D.C. on November 21-November 23.  See information on:  Registration   and  Travel and Accommodation

                                                   !!UPDATED!!   Conference Agenda   !!UPDATED!!

* Extended agenda (including Saturday "tracks" and Sunday workshops)*
Or view by Day:  Friday    Saturday     Sunday  
* List of all Sunday workshops  *

Friday, November 21 (Washington College of Law, American University)

7:30 pm: An evening at the Washington College of Law at American University, with a mix of participants from the Friday closed sessions, conference attendees and area students: This pre-conference event will be a free-wheeling democracy revue with radio host Mark Plotkin, a poetry slam, clips from pro-democracy documentaries and more.   More info...

Saturday, November 22 (Washington DC Convention Center)

Saturday Breakout Session Tracks
           The conference is designed to be of general interest, but particularly service the needs and interests of youth, reformers and those interested in democracy and the law. The following are general descriptions of these three tracks that will define the breakout sessions on the first day of the conference.   

To view the full agenda for each of these specific tracks click on its title below--

Youth: Will focus on key democracy issues affecting 16-26 year-olds. Participants will find out ways that they connect with reform movements happening around the country and how these reforms are affecting them. This track will be addressing innovative ways young people are currently, and can be engaged in democratic reforms and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts. It will depart from traditional panel formats.

Reformers: Will provide tactical advice to participants, explore connections among different reforms and discuss how reformers can support one another’s efforts.

Democracy and the Law: Will discuss current and prospective electoral laws and legal tactics used to pursue democratic reforms, from court challenges to enforcing current election and voting rights laws.

8:00 am – 9:00 am:  Registration / Exhibit Room Open
              Many sponsoring organizations will have tables where attendees can have one-on-one conversations about their work and pick up materials. They will be encouraged to set up their tables by 8 am, as the opening hour before Saturday and Sunday plenaries will be an excellent time for attendees to meet with representatives of organizations.

  9:00 am – 10:15 am:  Opening Plenary

• Welcome by The Center for Voting and Democracy's Robert Richie and the Washington College of Law's Jamin Raskin
• Keynote Speaker: Texas state representative Garnet Coleman, introduced by John Anderson of the Center for Voting and Democracy
• Keynote Speaker: White House Project's Marie Wilson, introduced by Tracy Sturdivant of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
• Keynote Speaker: Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., introduced by Rashad Robinson of the Center for Voting and Democracy

10:30 am – Noon:  Break-out Sessions on “Securing the Vote”
            Will focus on reforms to ensure full and unfettered access to voting. Specific areas of reform include fair enforcement of the Help America Vote Act,  election day registration, felony disenfranchisement laws, lowering the voting age and voting rights for documented non-citizens and for citizens of American territories and for citizens of Washington, D.C.

* Youth Track specifics
* State Reformer Track specifics
* Law and Democracy Track specifics

Noon – 1:30 pm:  Lunch / Exhibit Area Highlighted / Book-Signings   
            We are organizing a series of 30-minute book-signings during the two lunch breaks on Saturday and Sunday and will promote visits to the exhibit area room during this period. The book-signing schedule is:

     - 12:15-12:40 - Alex Keyssar, Author of The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the  
                                                                                                             United States
     - 12:40- 1:05 - Jamin Raskin, Author of Overruling Democracy: The Supreme Court vs 
                                                                         the American People
     -  1:05- 1:30 - Micah Sifry, Author of Spoiling for a Fight: Third-Party Politics in America

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm:  Break-out Sessions on “Enhancing the Vote” 
            Focused on reforms to increase the power of one’s vote. Specific areas of reform will include campaign contribution limits, public financing, instant runoff voting, fusion, full representation, Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, access to the airwaves and strategies to promote more candidates who are women and people of color.

* Youth Track specifics
* State Reformers Track specifics
* Democracy and the Law Track specifics

 3:15 pm – 4:45 pm:  Break-out Session on “Exercising the Vote”
              Actions being taken and planned to increase voter participation in 2004, focused on voter registration and get-out-the-vote activities.

* Youth Track specifics
* State Reformers Track specifics
* Democracy and the Law Track specifics

5 pm – 6 pm: Plenary -- Is There a War on Democracy?
           National Organization for Women President Kim Gandy will introduce and moderate a session with Common Cause President Chellie Pingree, Center for Voting and Democracy senior analyst Steven Hill, the Center for Constitutional Rights' Ron Daniels, Washington College of Law's Jamin Raskin and Public Campaign's Mark Clack to address democracy and the media, civil liberties, the courts and election laws.

6 pm – 6:30 pm:  Exhibit Booths Highlighted. Book Signing with Scott Beale, author of Millenial Manifesto.

6 pm – 9 pm:  Celebrate Democracy reception and dinner at the nearby Four Points-Sheraton (with separate admission):
            Celebrating Democracy , co-sponsored by Common Cause and the Center for Voting and Democracy, will feature awards to “Democracy Champions” speaking at the conference and will feature remarks about the 2004 elections and reform from the New Yorker ’s Hendrik Hertzberg

8 pm – 9:30 pm (DC Convention Center):
            Blackout Arts Collective will lead a poetry and open-mic event around voting rights and disenfranchisement, particularly dealing with people with felony convictions. 

Sunday, November 23 (Washington DC Convention Center)

 8:00 am – 9:00 am:  Exhibit Room Open

 8:45 am – 9:45 am:  Opening Plenary
            Focused on the importance of involvement in the day’s mix of featured debates, workshops, trainings and panels. Introduced by the Center for Voting and Democracy’s Rob Richie, speakers will be the Fannie Lou Hamer Project’s Stephanie Moore, Citizen Works’ Ralph Nader, National Voting Rights Institute's John Bonifaz, Demos' Miles Rapoport and the Progressive Review's Sam Smith.

  Sunday will feature four sessions, each with  13 workshops,  panels and  debates.

Full List of Workshops

 10:00 am – 11:15 am:  Session 1 (13 workshops and panels)

 11:30 am – 12:45 pm:  Session 2 (13 workshops and panels)

 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm:  Lunch / Exhibit Area/ Book-Signings
     The book signing schedule in the exhibit area is:
      - 12:55-1:20 - Steven Hill, Author of Fixing Elections
      -  1:20-1:45 - Ron Hayduk, Author of Democracy's Moment

 1:45 pm – 3:00 pm:  Session 3 (13 workshops and panels)

 3:15 pm – 4:30 pm:  Session 4 (13 workshops and panels)

 4:45 pm – 5:30 pm:  Closing Plenary
            This closing plenary will provide reports from leaders of the different tracks of the conference and highlight next steps for building a pro-democracy movement. Speakers will include Rob Richie of the Center for Voting and Democracy and Ludovic Blain of Demos.