Institutions of higher learning have long promoted voter registration and participation.
In June, The American Council on Education released the Student Voting and College Political Campaign-Related Activities 2024 report with tips for colleges to continue upholding and encouraging their students’ participation in the democratic process.
The report suggests that institutions be proactive in addressing potential barriers and offering solutions, engaging in issue advocacy where feasible and permissible, and conducting voting information sessions.
Providing robust, nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts are also recommended.
They recommend establishing multiple locations on campus for distributing absentee ballot applications, stamps, and stationary, and clear summaries of state registration and voting requirements.
Some evidence even suggests that providing information about other states’ laws, not just those of the institution’s home state, may influence would-be student voters hailing from out-of-state.
The report also notes that colleges and universities can use federal work-study funds to establish voter registration positions at their own institutions, collaborate with local election offices, or partner with nonpartisan organizations to enhance voter registration and participation.
A thriving democracy begins on campus. In this era of increasingly crucial civic engagement, the ACE 2024 report supplements nonpartisan institutional efforts to bolster a more engaged and representative electorate.
