CFP: Elections, Tech Com, & Democracy
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Dear colleagues,
Dr. Ryan Cheek and I invite proposals for an upcoming edited collection, Elections, Technical Communication, and the Global Politics of Participatory Democracy.
This collection builds on longstanding conversations in technical and professional communication around the “political turn” and the field’s responsibility to engage issues of social justice, advocacy, and democratic participation. At a moment when electoral systems worldwide face increasing pressures ranging from disinformation and algorithmic persuasion to structural inequities and anti-democratic practices, this project brings together scholars and practitioners interested in how technical communication shapes, and is shaped by, electoral infrastructures and political life.
We welcome chapter proposals that explore topics such as:
- The design and usability of election technologies (e.g., ballots, interfaces, voter systems)
- Campaign communication, digital publics, and disinformation
- AI and emerging technologies in electoral contexts
- Global and comparative perspectives on elections and civic participation
- Social justice approaches to electoral design, policy, and post-election contexts
Proposals should:
- Be 500–750 words (excluding references)
- Include a working title
- Provide a brief author bio (100–150 words) for each contributor
- Include contact information for all authors
Timeline
- Proposals due: August 1, 2026
- Feedback from editors: October 1, 2026
- Full chapters due: February 1, 2027
Please submit proposals as a single document to ryan...@mst.edu and dorp...@umn.edu
We welcome submissions that engage these themes or related questions and look forward to building a collection that advances critical conversations about democracy, technology, and justice. Full CFP is attached and also available online. This project has moved past the initial proposal stage at WAC Clearinghouse and the editorial team awaits details of the chapter proposals.
Please feel free to circulate this CFP widely. Thank you for reading!
Vice President; Association of Teachers of Technical Writing
Co-Chair, Grants Committee; Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication
Special Issues Editor; Journal of Technical Writing and Communication