Best practices for encouraging college student voter participation

The top 3 things any higher education leader should do before Election Day!

With the midterm elections approaching, it’s time to encourage all eligible students to register and vote in the upcoming elections. Take action now using these evidence-based practices to generate an inclusive, active community and comply with Higher Education Act regulations.  

In 2018, college student voter participation doubled, from 19 percent in 2014 to 40 percent. College student voter participation jumped to 66 percent in 2020, an increase of 14 percentage points compared to 2016 and almost on par with the overall U.S. voting rate of 67 percent and more than double the increase in voting rates for the overall U.S. population. These massive increases in student voting rates reflect the implementation of best practices from academic research.

Here are the top 3 things any higher education leader can do before Election Day to ensure every student can vote.

1. Make Voting and Registration Easy

• Establish polling sites on campus

• Send students an email with a link to an online voter registration portal and include that link on your campus learning management system

• Provide individualized, inclusive information to students about registration and voting at campus events, including orientation and throughout the year, using Ask Every Student best practices

• Remind students that they can register to vote using their campus address

• Invite candidates to participate in on-campus debates and register students to vote at these events

• Work with partner organizations who can support campus efforts to educate and support students

2. Make a Public Pledge

• Student voter participation is 5.7 %-points higher at institutions where the president or chancellor signed the Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation. 

• Get involved in developing a high-quality evidence-based action plan to increase civic learning, political engagement and voter participation. Student voter participation is 3.7 %-points higher at institutions that participate in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.

3. Civic Engagement in Classrooms

• Encourage faculty to schedule or conduct in-class voter registration presentations

• Let students play a digital civic engagement game

• Make civic engagement part of course requirements

Student Turnout Supports Democracy

For years, young adults, including college students, have voted at far lower rates than other Americans. The gap has declined in recent elections, thanks in no small part to implementation of best practices gleaned through political science research. As the 2022 midterm elections approach, college administrators and faculty can encourage more young Americans to participate in the democratic process by continuing to implement these evidence-based tactics.

For more information, contact SVRN leader Dr. Melissa R. Michelson (melissa.michelson@menlo.edu), Dean of Arts & Sciences at Menlo College and Professor of Political Science.