Join us for Democracy Day on November 3

October 26, 2026

Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon University Community:

I am pleased to invite you to participate in CMU’s Democracy Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Democracy Day is an opportunity to underscore our shared institutional commitment to civic service and democracy on Election Day. This year, our efforts are centered on supporting informed participation in democratic and community life.

Leading up to Democracy Day, several activities and events are planned across campus focusing on civic engagement, education and action. A full list of events is available on the Democracy Day website.

On Democracy Day, there are no classes prior to 5 p.m., and the entire CMU community — faculty, staff and students — is encouraged to use this time to volunteer at the polls, meaningfully engage with their communities and participate in on-campus programming as their schedules allow. Everyone who is eligible is encouraged to vote on Nov. 3.

This year’s Democracy Day also complements our ongoing America250 programming, which commemorates our nation’s independence with events all year dedicated to examining our past, pioneering our future, and answering the grand challenges of tomorrow.

I thank the Democracy Day committee for their thoughtful planning of these opportunities for dialogue, engagement and learning. I also thank supervisors for their support in providing reasonable flexibility and accommodations on Election Day. As a reminder, eligible staff who wish to work at the polls may request Volunteer Time Off.

Sincerely,

James H. Garrett Jr.
Provost and Chief Academic Officer