Nov. 5th Election Information

Following approval of a proposal from University Senate, Ohio State will hold a day of asynchronous learning on Election Day as a one-time trial to support student participation in the general election. Instructors whose classes would otherwise have met in person or virtually should, in lieu of meeting, assign asynchronous classwork to be determined by the instructor.

All Buckeyes are encouraged to support Ohio State's motto of "Education for Citizenship" by helping to spread the message of non-partisan civic engagement. 

OSU Votes is a non-partisan, student-led initiative in the Office of Student Life that works to register, educate and encourage other students to vote. If there are requests for voter education materials, OSU Votes can provide resources and facts on the voting process.

The Ohio Secretary of State provides all the information you need to stay informed about election day. You can check your Ohio voter registration status, find your polling location and view details on how to vote early. 

Students, faculty and staff are invited to join the Institute for Democratic Engagement & Accountability (IDEA), the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society, and Listen. Learn. Discuss. for a virtual, interactive session on Monday, November 4, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Participants will be invited to share ideas and concerns in a positive environment and discuss concrete steps that can be taken individually and together to promote understanding and responsible civic engagement. The goal is to create knowledge, skills and strategies to engage responsibly in democracy and our local community, regardless of the outcome of the election.

On-demand resources are available throughout the Listen. Learn. Discuss. website, including a civil discourse guide developed by Ohio State Center for Ethics and Human Values, and resources developed by the Moritz College of Law specifically for campus leaders to manage difficult conversations.

To maintain the neutrality that assures academic freedom and freedom of speech and expression, Ohio State refrains from taking institutional positions on complex political or global matters, events, natural disasters or tragedies that extend beyond the operations of the university itself.

Ohio State’s Philosophy on Institutional and Leadership Statements uses the university’s Shared Values, the Chicago Principles and the Kalven Report as guiding principles. The philosophy does not impact academic freedom or any person’s ability to make statements that represent their own, individual views. Faculty have, among other things, the freedom to assemble and freedom in how they choose to conduct research, teach, publish and discuss their areas of academic expertise. 

The First Amendment and Ohio law expressly protects the rights of students, faculty, staff and visitors at the university to lawfully engage in speech and expressive activities. The First Amendment protects speech that is offensive, hateful or upsetting unless it falls into a category that the U.S. Supreme Court has determined is unprotected.

When speech becomes incitement or threats of violence, Ohio State has and will always move quickly to enforce the law and university policy. Ohio State has not and will not tolerate hatred, intimidation or harassment of anyone based on their religious beliefs, nationality or identity. The university will continue to follow established processes to address allegations or reports of discrimination, harassment or other violations of university rules, standards, the Code of Student Conduct and other community expectations. The university’s Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) reviews and responds to reports of discrimination and harassment and reports can be made directly to OIE.

The university has guidelines regarding political activity, which can help employees understand how to exercise their constitutional rights without creating the appearance of endorsement for a particular candidate or cause.

The university recognizes that members of the community may be deeply impacted by a variety of national and global events and is committed to supporting all students, faculty and staff through direct actions and interventions that actively support health, safety and well-being. 

The Office of Student Life’s Counseling and Consultation Service has created a Coping with Current Events page for students to help with concerns about global conflict, the political environment, economic stress or other issues that can impact mental health. The webpage outlines a range of resources to help students cope and give them the skills to support their peers. 

Faculty and staff are also encouraged to take advantage of the resources offered through the Employee Assistance Program. The program offers tools and support resources available to eligible Ohio State employees, their dependents, household members, parents and parents-in-law.