Civic Engagement and Voting: What is Civic Engagement?

This guide offers guidance and resources for getting civically engaged at the local, regional, and national levels in the United States. Each section or page offers information, resources, and opportunities for deeper learning to support your own civic engagement.

• What is Civic Engagement? - This page (the one you're currently browsing!) explains what civic engagement is and why it's important, and also provides a brief overview on this overall guide.
• Researching Issues and Candidates - Before voting it is important to understand what candidates stand for and what initiatives or issues might be on a ballot. A person might also want to align themselves with a political party that they feel shares the same mission and values that they do. Use the resources on this page to learn how to research candidates and issues as well as learn more about political parties and how they work.
• Voting Rights - This section offers resources on how to register to vote, how to conduct research prior to voting, and how to react to various stages of the process.  
• Elections - This section contains pages for all things elections! The information and resources covered here include the various types of elections like Local and State elections, Congressional elections, and Presidential elections and when they are all held.
• Navigating Political Influence - This page includes information on media bias, lobbying, and public policy advocacy organizations.
• How to Vote - Voting, whether it's for the first time or the fiftieth, can seem daunting, so we have broken it down into three easy steps for you: register, research, and react! Click on the dropdown on the main tab to learn more about the three steps individually.
• Get Involved - This page offers ideas for getting involved at UNLV and in your community.
• 2024 General Election Resources - This page offers up to date media coverage and resources for learning about the 2024 General Election candidates, ballot questions, and more.

Civic Engagement means making a difference in our communities and developing a combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation needed to enact change. It includes formal and informal activities such as volunteering, voting, lobbying for a politician, community gardening, completing the census, coaching a community sports team, writing to an elected official, researching ballot initiatives, and more.

This Civic Engagement and Voting guide provides resources and information about a variety of issues from voting, researching issues and candidates, how elections work, as well as a variety of resources such as books, streaming videos, and information about upcoming events.

Civic engagement is the foundation of democracy. By being civically engaged, the power is given back to the people to have their say in the world around them.

From electing politicians that create policies that impact your life, to being a well-informed active citizen, there are many reasons why civic engagement is important.

Civic engagement is a great way to make an impact on your community and use your privilege to help those around you. From animal rights and education to social justice and house equity, find something you are passionate about and get engaged with your community!

Image source: "Civic Engagement." youth.gov, https://youth.gov/youth-topics/civic-engagement-and-volunteering. Accessed December 16, 2019.

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Photograph: Please I'd Like to Grow: 60 Years of Student Activism — 2016 -- UNLV Libraries Exhibits and Events. https://www.library.unlv.edu/exhibits-events/2016/09/please-id-grow-60-years-student-activism