About this Event
After Election Day, how do you make sense of the results? Unpack the 2026 Midterm Election results with the experts. Join us in-person or virtually on Friday, November 20th.
Get key insights from CNN Anchor and Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju, Wisconsin pollster Charles Franklin, and leading elections scholars on critical races, issues, and vote patterns across the country, as well as Wisconsin’s pivotal contests and its crucial role as a battleground state. Whether you drop in for specific discussions or stay all day for a comprehensive experience, you’ll gain valuable insights and a deeper understanding of the election’s impact and where we go from here.
Hosted by the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this biennial election symposium features a wide range of elections experts: CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju, experts Dr. Charles Franklin (Marquette University), Dr. Mirya Holman (University of Houston), Dr. Matt Grossmann (Michigan State University), Dr. Stephanie Ternullo (Harvard University) as well as Elections Research Center Director Dr. Barry Burden and affiliated UW-Madison faculty.
The Elections Research Center’s 2026 Election Symposium is an all-day event with options for attendees to join for select sessions or the full program. The in-person catered event is open to the public and will be held at the DeLuca Forum in the Discovery Building (330 N. Orchard St.) from 9:45am to 5pm, with a boxed lunch provided. Doors open at 9:15am.
Advanced registration is required to receive the complimentary boxed lunch and is strongly encouraged for all attendees. Those who attend in-person will have the opportunity to continue the conversation with guest speakers and ERC affiliates during program breaks and learn about some of the latest research supported by the ERC. A livestream option is available on the registration page for those who are unable to attend in-person.
TICKET/REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Be sure to select all of the ticket/registration options that apply to you. Click "Read more" under each ticket option to learn more.
If you are attending in-person:
- Select the session(s) you plan to attend: Session 1, Session 2, or both.
- Select the Boxed Lunch option to receive a complimentary boxed lunch*
(*Must attend a Symposium session to receive a boxed lunch, only 1 per person)
Not sure which session(s) to attend? Review the Symposium program to learn more about each session and schedule of events - listed in the 'Agenda' on this page or at elections.wisc.edu/2026symposium.
If your plans change, please let us know by updating your registration.
Session 1 (9:45am-12pm)
9:45am Welcome & Overview from the Elections Research Center Director
Host: Dr. Barry Burden
Info: Session 1 (9:45am-12pm)
🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
10:00am “Thermostatic Backlash Amid Changing Party Coalitions”
Host: Dr. Matt Grosmann
Info: Session 1 (9:45am-12pm)
11:15am "The Local Politics Consequences of National Attention”
Host: Dr. Mirya Holman
Info: Session 1 (9:45am-12pm)
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
*12pm* Complimentary Boxed Lunch
Info: Must register in advance and attend at least one Symposium session to receive a boxed lunch. Only 1 boxed lunch per person.
Lunch Break (12-1pm)
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
*12pm* Complimentary Boxed Lunch
Info: Must register in advance and attend at least one Symposium session to receive a boxed lunch. Only 1 boxed lunch per person.
Session 2 (1-5pm)
1pm “The Limits of Liberalism in the Democratic Suburbs”
Host: Dr. Stephanie Ternullo
Info: Session 2 (1-5pm)
1:45pm “Reflections on the 2026 Congressional Elections”
Host: CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju
Info: Session 2 (1-5pm)
2:30pm On the Cutting Edge: The Latest Research Supported by the ERC
Info: Session 2 (1-5pm)
3:30pm “What Did We Learn about the 2026 Wisconsin Election?”
Host: Dr. Charles Franklin
Info: Session 2 (1-5pm)
4:30pm Closing Remarks from the Elections Research Center Director
Host: Dr. Barry Burden
Info: Session 2 (1-5pm)
Event venue & nearby stays
Discovery Building, DeLuca Forum, 330 North Orchard Street, Madison, United States
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