BGSU nationally recognized for increasing student voter participation during the 2024 election

University recognized by ALL IN Campus Democracy as among nation's 'most engaged' campuses

By Branden Ferguson

Bowling Green State University has been recognized as one of the nation's most engaged campuses for its efforts to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement and student voter participation during the 2024 election by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.

The University remains a leader among Ohio's public institutions for fostering a culture of civic responsibility and sustained community impact as one of only four public universities in the state that has consistently participated in the ALL IN challenge since it began in 2016 as a nationwide effort to increase student voter participation on college campuses.

For 2024, BGSU was among eight public, four-year universities in Ohio and 471 colleges and universities nationwide honored by ALL IN as a Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting. The University also received the honor in 2022.

"We are honored to see the collective efforts of the BGSU learning community being recognized for the important work of promoting civic engagement," said Kendra Lutes, associate director of the C. Raymond Marvin Center for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement. "BGSU empowers students to take an active role in the democratic process through voting and other forms of civic engagement, and this recognition underscores our collective commitment to promoting nonpartisan participation that contributes to a healthy democracy."

As part of ALL IN's mission to advance student voting efforts, the Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting program recognizes colleges and universities taking intentional steps to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement, education and voter turnout.

To assist those efforts, the University's student-led initiative, BGSU Votes, implemented a 2024 Action Plan — rated "Highly Established" earlier this year by ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge — that included a commitment from its team of dedicated volunteers to engage with more than 2,000 students through presentations, voter registration efforts, orientation and other events throughout the 2024-25 academic year. In all, 382 volunteers contributed a total of 1,054 service hours, resulting in an estimated economic impact of more than $35,000.

The work spearheaded by BGSU Votes aligns with the University’s mission to create public good by supporting a healthy democracy. It has also elevated the University’s reputation nationally as a voter-friendly campus.

Ahead of the 2024 election, BGSU Votes’ student leaders trained 40 students in nonpartisan democratic engagement during the University’s 2024 For the Public Good Day of Service. Those students then registered 70 of their peers to vote. BGSU Votes' volunteers also staffed a table outside the Bowen-Thompson Student Union five days a week, leading to 659 students registering to vote and 116 absentee ballot request forms being submitted.

BGSU was recognized by ALL IN as a silver campus for its voting percentage rate in 2018, 2020 and 2022 and also earned “Highly Established Action Plan” honors in 2022 and 2024, respectively.

Earlier this year, BGSU was also recognized by the Help America Vote College Program, becoming the only university in Ohio and among 21 recipients nationwide to receive a grant from the program to address the nation’s shortage of poll workers. As a result, the C. Raymond Marvin Center for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement received a two-year $77,000 grant to establish a Poll Worker Program to recruit and train around 300 eligible BGSU students to work at polling locations in Wood, Lucas, Hancock, Sandusky and Huron counties.