83rd Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Thursday, April 23 through Sunday, April 26, 2026
Hybrid Format: In Person at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, IL or Online
All Panels/Paper Sessions, Roundtables, Lightning Talks and Working Groups will Feature a Hybrid Format (for In-Person or Virtual Participation). Undergraduate Poster Sessions will be In Person Only.
Conference Program Co-Chairs:
Bethany Lacina, University of Rochester
Cecilia Hyunjung Mo, University of California-Berkeley
Learn more about the conference. Sign up here to receive email communications about the conference.
Register Now for the 83rd Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Registration is open for the 83rd Annual MPSA Conference! Reduced registration rates are listed below and available to MPSA members (see membership rates here) and to those who reserve a room at one of the official conference hotels.
Attendees have the flexibility to change their registration status from in person to virtual (or vice versa) if plans change. In order to minimize any changes to the program, all sessions will be available in real time for those participating either in person or online and sessions will consist of individuals participating in person, online, or a mixture of both.
To ensure you receive the best conference registration rate:
- Check to see if your membership is active through April 30, 2026 to get member pricing. Log in to your account to check your membership status, or join the MPSA/renew your membership before registering for the conference.
- Book your hotel accommodations in an official MPSA hotel to receive the in-hotel registration rate. Unsure about the length of your stay? Book as many nights as you want in order to secure the reduced rate, and then drop any extra unneeded room nights prior to the cutoff date and after you secure your schedule and travel plans. For guests staying at the Palmer House Hilton and the Hilton Chicago, please be aware that the hotels require a $50 deposit for a room reservation in lieu of one night hold normally placed on a credit card (per stay, not per night). If you cancel your room reservation within 48 hours of arrival, you will be charged a cancelation fee equal to the cost of one room night plus tax. If you register for the conference at the lower in-hotel rate but are not a registered guest in an official conference hotel, you will be billed for the difference between the in-hotel and out-of-hotel rates. If more than one person is staying in the room, make sure everyone’s name is on the reservation or your conference registration rate will be adjusted.
You must be logged in to your MPSA account to register. If you do not have an account, or are unsure, click here. If you need to reset your password, click here.
If you have another MPSA account associated with a different email address, contact mpsainfo@mpsanet.org to request the accounts be merged. Do not create a new account, as this will prevent you from accessing previously submitted proposals.
Download a PDF registration form here.
2026 MPSA Conference Registration Rates
Please note: Registration fees do not include any meals. Conference registration is non-refundable with the exception of adjustments due to changes made to in-person or virtual participation. Membership purchases are non-refundable. MPSA does not invoice for membership or conference registration and does not accept purchase orders, wire transfers, or bank transfers as payment.
In-Hotel/Out-Hotel – In-Hotel rates apply to registered guests of the Palmer House, Chicago Hilton, and Chicago residents. Out-hotel rates are slightly higher and apply for those staying outside of the official conference hotels. Book your hotel accommodations here, prior to registering for the conference.
Non-member rates include one year of complimentary electronic MPSA membership.
Questions about registration? View the FAQs.
EARLY REGISTRATION RATES AVAILABLE THROUGH FEBRUARY 25, 2026
REGULAR REGISTRATION RATES AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 25-APRIL 8, 2026
ON-SITE REGISTRATION RATES BEGIN APRIL 9, 2026
Not on the conference program? Serve as a discussant and attend the conference for free!
A complimentary registration will be available for those who are attending the hybrid conference (either in person or online) and only participating as a discussant.
In order to qualify for a complimentary registration:
- You cannot be assigned to any author roles or have research listed on the program.
- You cannot be a participant on any roundtable outside of the MPSA Professional Development Section 63.
- You must be placed in at least one discussant role. (While not required, fulfilling additional discussant or chair roles is greatly appreciated by your colleagues in the discipline looking for feedback on their research.) Click here to view a dynamic list of open roles and sign up to volunteer. You must be logged in with your MPSA username and password to volunteer. All users must complete their profile before volunteering for a chair or discussant role. You will be prompted to complete your account profile if you have not done so already. Learn more about conference participation roles here.
Being added as a chair on a panel in addition to your discussant role(s) will not disqualify you from a complimentary registration. However, holding a chair role alone does not qualify you for a complimentary registration. We highly encourage you to volunteer for chair role(s) in addition to your service as a discussant. You must hold at least one discussant role to qualify.
If you are eligible to receive a complimentary registration, you will be emailed a link to register at no charge.
If you receive a complimentary registration but no longer meet the above requirements, your complimentary registration will be revoked and you will be need to purchase a conference registration.
Presenter Registration Status Flexibility
If you register for in-person attendance and are unable to travel, you can change your registration status to virtual if you are participating on a session featuring a hybrid format (Panel/Paper sessions, Roundtables, Lightning Talks and Working Groups). You may also switch your registration status from virtual to in person as needed. If you have a participatory role (presenter, chair, discussant) on an undergraduate poster session, you will not be able to switch your registration status from in person to virtual as this session type is available for in-person participation only. If you need to change your status, please login to your MPSA account. After logging in, click the “Update Registration” button to begin the updating process. Adjustments to registration pricing (based on in-hotel, out-hotel, and virtual) will be processed accordingly. If a balance is due, your registration will not be updated until the balance is paid in full. Any refunds due to registration status changes will be issued after the conference.
Press Inquiries
For press inquiries, please contact mpsainfo@mpsanet.org.
Conference Policies
The Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) is committed to providing a safe, harassment-free, hospitable and productive meeting environment for everyone attending our events, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, religion or belief. All conference participants must agree to abide by the MPSA Code of Conduct at Events as well as the MPSA Streaming and Recording Policy.
Future MPSA Conference Dates
- Thursday, April 1 – Sunday, April 4, 2027
- Thursday, March 30 – Sunday, April 2, 2028
- Thursday, April 19 – Sunday, April 22, 2029
- Thursday, March 28 – Sunday, March 31, 2030