Election integrity took center stage as local residents and the Queens community gathered in the Gambrell Center for the Arts and Civic Engagement for a town hall event featuring The North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe, and Secure Elections.

The event was part of the NC Trusted Elections Tour series and not only provided information on the electoral process, but also served as an opportunity for attendees to participate in peaceful political engagement while strengthening civil discourse.

“We are honored to host such important conversations on our campus and to serve as a convener of important dialogues in a non-partisan, unbiased, and transparent way,” said Dan Lugo, president of Queens University of Charlotte. “We are dedicated to fostering a culture of engaged citizenship among our students, preparing them to be active participants in their communities and beyond. The vibrant dialogues they experience at Queens equip our graduates to make a lasting difference in the world.”

The event was moderated by Dedrick Russell, executive producer for community content at WBTV. The panel included Jennifer Roberts and Bob Orr, co-leaders of the North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe, and Secure Elections; Mecklenburg County Elections Director Michael Dickerson; Mecklenburg County Board of Elections members Liz McDowell and John Gresham; Chief Risk Officer for the state of NC, Torry Crass; and election law expert Zachary Deason.

They addressed public concerns about electronic voting machines and hacking, explained the secure process for collecting and counting votes, and advised on how challenges, recounts, and fraud allegations are dealt with through proper legal channels.

“We have found that when voters hear current information from their local election professionals, their confidence in our elections system increases,” said Roberts.

“The democratic principle of election by the people is the fundamental foundation on which our government and our democracy are built,” said Orr. “Our election officials from Cullowhee to Carrboro, Morganton to Mocksville, and Raleigh to Roanoke all work relentlessly to make sure that our elections, so vital to American Democracy, proceed fairly, safely, and securely.”

This stop on the Trusted Elections Tour was sponsored by the North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe, and Secure Elections, the League of Women Voters of North Carolina, and Veterans for All Voters and was co-sponsored by Queens University’s Department of Political Science, International Affairs and Sociology, QU Votes, and the Department of Philosophy and Religion.