Essay Contest, Watch Party on Tap as Midterms Approach
ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 22, 2026) — UAlbany students are gearing up for the upcoming midterm elections with a voter registration drive, Election Night watch party and Constitution Day essay contest.
The events are being organized by the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, working with the Office of Student Engagement and Belonging and student groups including Democracy Matters, Generation Vote and the NAACP.
Recent registration tabling in residence halls, campus apartments and the Campus Center followed an Oct. 16 event focused on absentee voting hosted by Democracy Matters.
Campus outreach efforts have helped more than 100 students register to vote. Students can register or check their registration status by stopping at any of the tables or visiting the TurboVote app.
Students also have until Nov. 3 to enter the University's Constitution Day Essay Contest, which asks: "How much authority should the President hold — and who decides?" The contest is open to all students.
The essay asks contestants to examine the balance of presidential authority in a constitutional democracy through 1,000-word essays drawing on history, constitutional principles and current events.
Winners will be announced on Reading Day, with prizes of $500, $250 and $100 funded by the Rockefeller College Professor Harold W. Adams Student Experience Fund.
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, Rockefeller College will host an Election Night results watch party from 8 to 10:30 p.m. in the Campus Center, featuring food and trivia. The event is open to the University community, with grant support from University Auxiliary Services.