Introduction
Here is a Conversation Guide by Living Room Conversations about Trust in Local Elections. They use guided conversations to build understanding and transform communities.
Is there a difference in the trust you have for local elections and processes compared to other districts, state elections, or national elections? Why or why not?
Trust is a critical component of building and maintaining healthy families, communities, institutions and countries. What happens when it starts to dwindle or is lost entirely? Trust is built over time. It can be challenged by people with different views or backgrounds as well as events that call into question the intent of our institutions and media.
Increasingly, concerns about access to voting and election integrity have led to a questioning of election results. This conversation is designed to encourage reflection on key disconnects we are currently experiencing. What happens when we don’t trust our elections? How can we move forward to build local trust?
Living Room Conversations offers a simple, sociable and structured way to practice communicating across differences while building understanding and relationships.
Typically, 4-7 people meet in person or by video call for about 90 minutes to listen to and be heard by others on one of our over 150 topics. Rather than debating or convincing others, we take turns talking to share and learn, and be curious. No preparation is required, though background links with balanced views are available on some topic pages online. Anyone can host using these italicized instructions. Hosts also participate.
Conversation Guide
Introductions: Why We’re Here (~10 minutes)
Each participant has 1 minute to introduce themselves.
- Share your name, where you live, what drew you here, and if this is your first conversation.
Conversation Agreements: How We’ll Engage (~5 minutes)
These will set the tone of our conversation; participants may volunteer to take turns reading them aloud.
- Be curious and listen to understand.
Conversation is as much about listening as it is about talking. You might enjoy exploring how others’ experiences have shaped their values and perspectives. - Show respect and suspend judgment.
People tend to judge one another. Setting judgment aside opens you up to learning from others and makes them feel respected and appreciated. Try to truly listen, without interruption or crosstalk. - Note any common ground as well as any differences.
Look for areas of agreement or shared values that may arise and take an interest in the differing beliefs and opinions of others. - Be authentic and welcome that from others.
Share what’s important to you. Speak from your experience. Be considerate of others who are doing the same. - Be purposeful and to the point.
Do your best to keep your comments concise and relevant to the question you are answering. Be conscious of sharing airtime with other participants. - Own and guide the conversation.
Take responsibility for the quality of your participation and the conversation as a whole. Be proactive in getting yourself and others back on track if needed. Use an agreed upon signal like the “time out” sign if you feel the agreements are not being honored.
Question Rounds: What We’ll Talk About
Optional: a participant can keep track of time and gently let people know when their time has elapsed.
Round One: Getting to Know Each Other (~10 min)
Each participant can take 1-2 minutes to answer one of these questions:
- What are your hopes and concerns for your family, community and/or the country?
- What would your best friend say about who you are?
- What sense of purpose / mission / duty guides you in your life?
Round Two: Exploring the Topic — Trust in Elections (local) (~40 min)
One participant can volunteer to read this paragraph.
Trust is a critical component of building and maintaining healthy families, communities, institutions and countries. What happens when it starts to dwindle or is lost entirely? Trust is built over time. It can be challenged by people with different views or backgrounds as well as events that call into question the intent of our institutions and media. Increasingly, concerns about access to voting and election integrity have led to a questioning of election results.
This conversation is designed to encourage reflection on key disconnects we are currently experiencing. What happens when we don’t trust our elections? How can we move forward to build local trust?
Take ~2 minutes each to answer a question below without interruption or crosstalk. After everyone has answered, the group may take a few minutes for clarifying or follow up questions/responses. Continue exploring additional questions as time allows.
- What impact does trust or the lack of trust have on you? How does it impact your behavior?
- When in your life have you intentionally built trust? How might it be applicable to building trust in our local voting practices and elections?
- Is there a difference in the trust you have for local elections and processes compared to other districts, state elections, or national elections? Why or why not?
- How do you define trust in elections and how do you experience it? Has it shifted over time? What could inspire more trust in local election practices for you?
- When you think about our voting practices, what hopes and concerns do you have for building trust in our local electoral process?
Round Three: Reflecting on the Conversation (~15 min)
Take 2 minutes to answer one of the following questions:
- What was most meaningful / valuable to you in this Living Room Conversation?
- What learning, new understanding or common ground was found on the topic?
- How has this conversation shifted your perception of others or yourself?
- Is there a next step you would like to take based upon the conversation you just had? Closing (~5 min)
Closing (~5 min)
- Give us feedback! Use livingroomconversations.org/feedback-form/ or QR code
- Donate! Make more of these possible; give at livingroomconversations.org/donate/
- Join or host more conversations! With a) this group by exchanging your emails; b) others in person and/or by video call online. Get more involved or learn how to host at livingroomconversations.org/get-involved/
This is an open source project. Please use, share and modify with attribution to LivingRoomConversations.org
Download Resource
Conversation Guide: Trust in Elections (Local) (PDF)
About Living Room Conversations
Living Room Conversations are a simple way to connect across divides – politics, age, gender, race, nationality, and more.
Living Room Conversations offers a simple, sociable and structured way to practice communicating across differences while building understanding and relationships. Typically, 4-6 people meet in person or by video call for about 90 minutes to listen to and be heard by others on one of our nearly 100 topics. Rather than debating or convincing others, we take turns talking to share, learn, and be curious. No preparation is required, though background links with balanced views are available on some topic pages online.
Living Room Conversations is an open source project. Please use, share and modify with attribution to Living Room Conversations.
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