ʹڲַ Recognized for Student Voting

Students fill out ballots behind the privacy screens

College Union polling place (ʹڲַ/Matt Burkhartt)

ʹڲַ has been recognized by the as a , which recognizes colleges and universities for efforts to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement and student voting.

ʹڲַ met several requirements for the recognition, including developing a 2022 democratic action plan and being a signatory to ALL IN’s . Nick Palumbo, assistant dean of students for leadership and service, said the College provides easy and accessible ways to register to vote during orientation, in residence halls, and in the College Union. The ʹڲַ Student Association and civically engaged student groups also advocate for registration via social media. Student ambassadors on campus, through the , also lead nonpartisan efforts and organize candidate and official forums.

"ʹڲַ students live the college’s value of civic engagement,” says Palumbo. “Despite the barriers created by the COVID-19 pandemic, ʹڲַ students continue to educate and motivate their fellow peers to participate in our political process. The explicit commitment of our college community to civic engagement challenges ʹڲַ students to engage in our democratic processes and creates the conditions for developing ethical and engaged citizens. Our recognition as an ALL IN Most Engaged Campus is a direct reflection of ʹڲַ's hard work of not only getting students registered but getting them to the polls."

For example, 3,251 ʹڲַ students voted in the 2020 presidential election, according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) conducted by the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education (IDHE) at Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life. In 2020, 4,185 ʹڲַ students were registered to vote out of an eligible 4,766. ʹڲַ’s voter rate was 68 percent in 2020—making it 2 percentage points higher than the national average of 66 percent.  

For access to the full 2020 NSLVE report, please visit ʹڲַ Votes or click here.

Author

Kris Dreessen
Manager of Editorial Services
(585) 245-5516