The University of Michigan will host its first Democracy Week starting Monday, Sept. 14. The five-day lineup includes two sitting governors, former Michigan officials discussing election security and four nights of outdoor films on the Diag.

The week runs through Friday, Sept. 18, and is timed to overlap with National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and Constitution Day on Thursday, Sept. 17. Events are spread across campus and community venues, according to the Ford School of Public Policy.

Democracy Week is led by the Center for Democracy and Civic Empowerment, now part of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Faculty director Jenna Bednar, a professor of political science in LSA and public policy at the Ford School, said the week is meant to pull people out of familiar circles.

"Democracy works best when we actually show up for each other even when we don't agree … Whether you're at the stadium, watching a movie on the Diag, registering to vote, or just joining a discussion, there's a place for you," Bednar said.

The week opens Monday, Sept. 14, at 5 p.m. in Rackham Auditorium, where New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox will join moderator Lynette Clemetson, director of U-M's Wallace House Center for Journalists, for a panel called "How to Disagree Better?" Cox founded the nationally recognized "Disagree Better" initiative promoting cross-party collaboration.

On Tuesday, Sept. 15, a "Braver Campus Dialogue" at 7 p.m. in the Pendleton Room at the Michigan Union will tackle U.S. military engagement in the Middle East. Food and refreshments will be provided beforehand.

Wednesday, Sept. 16, brings a Data Preservation Hackathon hosted by the Inter-university Consortium for Social and Political Research (ICPSR) from 10 a.m. to noon in the Institute for Social Research's Thompson building, Room 1430. The event is open to U-M students, faculty and staff. No prior experience is required, but participants must bring a laptop.

Thursday, Sept. 17, is the week's busiest day. Former Michigan Govs. John Engler and James Blanchard, former U.S. Rep. Michael Bishop and former Lt. Gov. John Cherry will discuss election security at 11:30 a.m. in Annenberg Auditorium at Weill Hall. The panel is titled "Michigan Elections: Local control, national scrutiny, and public trust."

That evening, artist Holly Bass speaks at the Penny Stamps Speaker Series at the Michigan Theater at 5:30 p.m. Bass, the 2026 Roman J. Witt Artist in Residence and Towsley Policymaker in Residence at the Ford School, will preview her upcoming U-M Museum of Art exhibition "We Hold These Truths."

The show opens Saturday, Oct. 3, and examines how Americans have celebrated and debated the nation's founding during the anniversary years of 1876, 1976 and 2026. In an August announcement of her residency, Bass said she is "interested in how art can create space for people to encounter history differently."

Also on Thursday, a "Party for Democracy" fair runs from 5 to 7 p.m. at Regents Plaza, with voting resources, information on local civic involvement, food and giveaways.

A "Democracy on the Diag" outdoor film series runs Monday through Thursday evenings: "National Treasure" on Sept. 14, "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" on Sept. 15, "Selma" on Sept. 16 and "The Words That Built America" on Sept. 17. Popcorn and refreshments will be provided. Bring a blanket or lawn chair.

The full schedule is posted at democracyweek.umich.edu/calendar.