International students and scholars learned about the U.S. elections process at events planned by International Student and Scholar Services and Small World Coffee Hour.

At “U.S. Government and Elections 101,” David Schultz, Distinguished University Professor of Political Science and Legal Studies at Hamline University, explained the electoral college, and how even Americans are confused by the way U.S. elections actually work.

Students and scholars also learned about how they are and are not allowed to participate as non-citizens. Linda Aaker of Student Legal Services explained that international students and scholars cannot vote, donate to a candidate, or have any type of decision-making role for a campaign, but they can share their opinions about the candidates. They can also encourage their U.S. friends to vote.

The event was helpful for Sota Takahashi, a freshman from Japan.

“I wanted to know more about the election because I really had minimal knowledge about this stuff,” Takahashi said. “I thought it was important to come to this to actively engage.”

After the panel event, Small World Coffee Hour hosted a mock debate to give international students a taste of the American electoral process. Students had fun with the food theme, debating things like whether a hot dog is a taco. At the end of the debates, attendees cast their ballot to choose the restaurant to order from for a future Small World Coffee Hour event.