Rice Votes: Make Your Voice Heard

As we approach Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, we remind you that there will be no classes that day with the exception of a few Jones Graduate School of Business courses. Polling for registered Harris County voters will take place on campus at the Welcome Center in Sewall Hall from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Participating in democracy is a privilege, a responsibility and essential to strengthening it, and we encourage you to plan your vote. Ensuring everyone’s voice is heard is a shared responsibility. Please support others by offering them time to cast their ballots — whether students, colleagues or staff. This means faculty may not require students to attend face-to-face or virtual classes, presentations, lectures or exams. Homework assignments may be still due.

For insights on the ballot, explore the “Election Policy Playbook,” a nonpartisan resource produced by Rice and the Baker Institute for Public Policy. It offers expert analysis on key campaign issues, helping inform policymaking at the state and national levels. You can also stay updated at ricevotes.rice.edu.

Join us for an Election Day celebration organized by a coalition of student groups from noon to 4 p.m. in the Academic Quad with refreshments, activities and voter information. Later, a watch party will begin at 7 p.m. in the Sid Rich College Commons. Everyone in the Rice community is welcome to attend.

Finally, we extend our gratitude to the many Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrar volunteers in our campus community who helped register a record number of new campus voters this year. We also appreciate the numerous campus offices and student organizations that have been involved in voter registration, voter education and Get Out The Vote activities all semester, and the Rice students who are working our campus polling site in the Rice Welcome Center on Election Day. Their hard work is deeply appreciated, and we recognize the long hours and dedication required.