A unanimous vote for what the public decided
Raleigh convened its first civic assembly — the largest east of the Mississippi — and its City Council accepted every recommendation.
PHOTO — RALEIGH ASSEMBLY ROOM, PARTICIPANTS AT ROUND TABLES
The story
The City of Raleigh wanted public input it could stand behind. Instead of a hearing dominated by the usual voices, it partnered with Civic Genius to run a civic assembly: a demographically representative panel selected by lottery, meeting across six Saturdays over three months.
Participants heard balanced briefings, questioned experts, and deliberated at small facilitated tables. They produced a set of recommendations — and on May 5, 2026, the City Council voted unanimously to accept them.
It is proof of the core idea behind everything we do: ordinary people, given good information and time, make decisions their whole community can trust.
At a glance
City of Raleigh
Civic assembly — six Saturdays over three months
Civic lottery, demographically representative
Recommendations accepted unanimously, May 5, 2026
Bring a civic assembly to your city
We’ll design and run the whole process, from question to recommendations.