Debate Watch Party, October 3, 2012

Hosted by Public Policy Dean Don Kettl, the debate watch will feature the announcement of a new Terrapin Electronic Registration System through our TerpsVote initiative. Last year's SGA was primarily responsible for the creation of this program with support from the State of Maryland, IT, Student Affairs and the Stamp Student Union. It will allow anyone with a university ID to electronically register to vote using a secure system. For students, this means they can securely register to vote either in-state or their hometown. 

We will also provide the opportunity for participants to use a new kind of real-time polling (using a web-based tool for mobile devices) to get  moment-by-moment reactions as the debate unfolds. The technology - from React Labs - was developed by UMD Professor Philip Resnik (ARHU/Linguistics). We'll have two screens available - one with the debate, one with the real-time polling results of Maryland and other participants around the nation. There will be a short discussion about the results and a Q and A afterwards. 

Media have been invited and may attend.

The schedule:

7:30 p.m. : Colony Ballroom Doors Open

8:30 p.m. : Dean Kettl hosts pre-debate discussion with TerpsVote and ReactLabs. 

9:00 p.m - 10:30 p.m. : Watch the Presidential Debate from the University of Maryland.

10:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.: Dean Kettl will host a Q and A and brief analysis session.

11:00 p.m. - Program concludes.