Muhlenberg Recognized for Excellence in Student Voter Registration and Turnout During the 2022 Midterm Elections
The College earned a Gold Seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for nonpartisan student voter engagement, with 41.9% of Muhlenberg students turning out to vote, significantly higher than the national average.Tuesday, September 10, 2024 10:01 AM
Members of BergVotes, a nonpartisan student-run organization, during their 2022 midterm election issues expoThe ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) recognized Muhlenberg College for its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered high levels of student voter engagement in the 2022 midterm elections. Muhlenberg received the Gold Seal, reflecting its commitment to ensuring that nonpartisan democratic engagement is a defining feature of campus life.
“Preparing students to be engaged citizens in our democratic society is a critical part of Muhlenberg’s mission,” says President Kathleen Harring. “I’m proud that the work of so many campus partners to ensure our students are registered and prepared to vote is being recognized, and I look forward to seeing that work continue in this presidential election year.”
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Muhlenberg was recognized alongside more than 500 campuses using data from the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE) out of Tufts University, which found that colleges and universities had the second-highest voter turnout among students in a midterm election since NSLVE began measuring this data.
Muhlenberg’s student voting rate in 2022, per NSLVE, was 41.9%; the average voting rate among all institutions in 2022 was 30.6%. The Office of Community Engagement facilitates nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts on campus through its Voter Promoters team of student workers and by advising BergVotes, a nonpartisan student-run organization that assists with voter registration and organizes events like debate watch parties, issues expos and meet-the-candidate opportunities for local, state and federal elections.
ALL IN, in collaboration with over 1,050 higher education institutions, seeks to make participation in local, state and federal elections a social norm; substantially increase the number of college students who are democratically engaged on an ongoing basis, during and between elections, and not just at the polls, and; make educating for democratic engagement on college campuses an accepted and expected part of the culture and curriculum so that students graduate with the knowledge, skills, behaviors and values needed to be an informed and active citizen. The full list of campus award winners can be viewed here.
