Baala Shakya, Staff Photographer

Yale Votes, the student-led civic engagement initiative, recently rebranded as the Yale Democracy Project, broadening its mission beyond its initial goal of increasing voter registration.

The organization, which has played a key role in promoting civic engagement at Yale, will now shift its focus to include educational programming and broader political participation efforts, according to Esha Bolar ’27, co-president of the Yale Democracy Project.

“Over the years, Yale Votes has faced questions about how best to promote civic engagement during years without a national election,” said Noah Killeen ’27, co-president of the Yale Democracy Project. “Through the rebrand and growing partnership with the Yale administration, we intend to think larger than simply aiding in voter registration.” 

In the fall, Yale Votes launched its Democracy Liaison program, which offered guidance to students in the run-up to the election. 

The program aimed to make voting more accessible by sending out mail-in ballot information and offering stamps in college offices. On election day, the group also held walks to the polls at City Hall for same-day voting and registration. 

Kimberly Goff-Crews, the secretary and vice president of University Life, said that the University supports the rebranding, which was conducted to “better reflect their widened scope of work.” 

Among the key events planned this semester by the Yale Democracy Project was a viewing of President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, which the Yale Democracy Project emphasized should not be referred to as a “watch party” to maintain a nonpartisan framing.

The event follows the organization’s viewing of the presidential inauguration and marks the next step in its newly established “Civic Viewing Series.” The series was approved by the University to promote national events that encapsulate the ideals of nonpartisan civic engagement  — predominantly, the events that occur regardless of the administration holding office.

“We believe that these events are crucial in exposing students to modern political processes and updates from the federal administration,” said Killeen.

The Yale Democracy Project also intends to deepen its engagement through new educational initiatives focused on local and state elections and foundational policy discussions. Additionally, the group is continuing its partnership with Spring Fling to promote voter registration on campus.

At its core, the Yale Democracy Project is founded on the belief that civic engagement is not just an individual responsibility but an institutional imperative, Bolar said.

“Yale plays a significant role in shaping our political landscape, whether through alumni in the nation’s highest offices, professors whose work informs public discourse, or students driving activism and change,” Bolar said. “We have a privilege being at this institution that entails a responsibility to care about what is going on in this country and the world as a whole.”

Bolar also noted that because many students on campus remain disengaged from what is going on in the world, the Yale Democracy Project aims to serve as a hub for civic participation, providing students with the resources and opportunities to engage with politics and governance.

With this responsibility in mind, the organization aims to provide students with a nonpartisan space for meaningful conversations, fostering both awareness and action, as “understanding how to get involved is the first step toward making a real impact,” said Bolar.

The Yale Democracy Project has received largely positive feedback from students following its relaunch event on Saturday, Killeen said.

Bolar said that students can remain civically active by attending events like the State of the Union viewing session, where they can gain the knowledge and tools to not only understand key issues but also help others by getting involved with democracy.

“At the end of the day, we still believe that voting is one of the most important cornerstones of democracy — we aren’t leaving this behind,” said Bolar. “Rather, we are developing more ways to grow civic engagement in a nonpartisan fashion. We want to create more space for students with different views to still work together to enhance participation in politics.”

Yale Votes was founded in 2021.