The 2020 presidential election engaged the largest and most diverse group of college students in U.S. history. Concordia University received the 2021 Gold Seal award from the ALL In Campus Democracy Challenge. More than 840 institutions enrolling close to nine million students participate in the ALL IN Challenge.
“Despite COVID challenges, during fall of 2020 students were instrumental in assisting peers in voter registration and getting friends to the polls. Student awareness events held on campus last fall highlighted the civic engagement mindset our student body takes pride in. It is exciting to be recognized for the increased voter turnout within the Golden Bear community,” notes Kelly Matthias, Director for Center for Student Engagement.
The 2020 election cycle saw unprecedented voter registration and turnout among college students according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), a research study of the Institute for Democracy in Higher Education (IDHE) at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. IDHE reported that 66 percent of college students voted in the 2020 election, a 14 point increase from 2016. Data provided by IDHE shows Concordia University’s voting rate increased by 4.6% to 75.5% in 2020. This is 9.5% higher than the national average for college student voting.
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) is a national, nonpartisan initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) organization. ALL IN strives for a more inclusive democracy—one in which all voices are heard. We believe that higher education plays a role in graduating students into voters and in closing electoral participation gaps that persist by race and age. Through an intentionally designed program—which provides structure, support, and recognition—ALL IN strengthens college and university efforts to improve civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation. Ensuring that students are registered to vote and participate in all elections is a key component of our work.
Learn more and see a full list of winning campuses here.