Roanoke College Commits To 100% Student Voter Registration and Participation
October 26, 2022
Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr. has joined more than 450 college presidents and chancellors in committing to full student voter registration and participation in all elections through the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN). To support full voter participation of all eligible students, ALL IN and its Higher Education Presidents Council launched a call to action for higher education leaders to fully engage students in electoral participation. A full list of signatories can be found here.
“I am proud to sign the Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment on behalf of Roanoke College and our remarkable, service-minded students,” said President Shushok. “As a campus, we are committed to empowering students to take part in this vital democratic process and to lead lives marked by civic and community engagement.”
In 2020, voter turnout among college students nationwide soared to an unprecedented 66%, according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, which looked at nearly 1,200 campuses. That was a jump from 52% turnout recorded in 2016 and 45% in 2012.
The findings continued a rising trend first noted by the national study in 2018. During midterm races that year, voter turnout among students reached 40%, up from 19% during the 2014 midterms.
"As a campus, we are committed to empowering students to take part in this vital democratic process and to lead lives marked by civic and community engagement."
President Frank Shushok Jr.
“Today, young people are truly seeing how the decisions their elected officials make impact their everyday lives, and in this critical time, ensuring that they are able to make their voices heard safely is critical,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “We are excited to partner with higher education leaders across the country to change the culture at colleges and universities around engagement in our country’s political process. We are calling on all college presidents to make this commitment to their students, campuses and communities.”
By signing the pledge, Roanoke College committed to ensuring all eligible students can register to vote and cast informed ballots in the general elections and beyond. Further, it committed to fostering campus cultures that support nonpartisan student civic learning, political engagement and student voter participation.
In the run-up to the Nov. 8, 2022, elections, Roanoke College’s Center for Civic Engagement will be posting student voting ambassadors on campus to encourage their fellow students to vote and assist them with questions about polling place locations, ballot information and other details.
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is a nonpartisan, national initiative of the 501(c)(3) Civic Nation, recognizing and supporting campuses as they work to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement and full student voter participation. The Challenge encourages higher education institutions to help students form the habits of active and informed citizenship, and make democratic participation a core value on their campus.
More than 930 campuses, enrolling more than 9.2 million students, have joined ALL IN since its launch in summer 2016.