BGSU nationally recognized for its approach to increase voter participation in upcoming presidential election

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green State University has been recognized nationally once again for its commitment to increasing nonpartisan democratic engagement and student voter participation in the 2024 presidential election.

For 2024, ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, the nationwide initiative to increase student voter participation on college campuses, rated the student-led BGSU Votes 2024 Action Plan as a “Highly Established Action Plan.”

BGSU was one of four public universities in Ohio and 122 nationwide to receive the honor.  

“As a public university for the public good, we have a responsibility to help students understand the importance of taking an active role in the democratic process,” said Kendra Lutes, associate director of the C. Raymond Marvin Center for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement.  

“The recognition by ALL IN further demonstrates our level of commitment to promoting civic engagement across the learning community and elevates our reputation nationally as a voter-friendly campus.”

The recognition is among several accolades BGSU has received from ALL IN since joining the initiative in 2016. ALL IN denoted the BGSU a silver campus in 2018, 2020 and 2022 for its voting percentage rate and earned “Highly Established Action Plan” honors in 2022.  

The BGSU Votes 2024 Action Plan outlines numerous goals for the academic year, specifically focusing on increasing voter registration and turnout, removing barriers to voting, reaching a diverse student population, and broadening voter education and skill development.

To accomplish those objectives, Lutes said BGSU Votes’ student leaders and its dedicated team of volunteers are committed to engaging with more than 2,000 students through presentations, voter registration efforts, orientation and other events throughout the 2024-25 academic year.

The nonpartisan initiative plans to grow its volunteer base, collaborate with diverse student leaders and organizations and engage with faculty members, who can reinforce the importance of voting to their students. The action plan also includes digital engagement through social media.

BGSU senior Cherylle Dave, a BGSU Votes Fellow, said she is eager to empower fellow students to participate in the democratic process.

"Voting is such an important tool we can use to make an impact in our community, but it can be intimidating for those who haven't participated before," Dave said. "We had a lot of success last year registering students to vote and increasing turn out on Election Day. We put a lot of work into creating the 2024 Action Plan to educate as many students as possible to stress the importance of making their voices heard."

As part of the University’s 2024 For the Public Good Day of Service on Aug. 24, BGSU Votes’ student leaders trained 40 students in nonpartisan democratic engagement. Those students then registered 70 of their peers to vote.

Voting rates among BGSU students increased by nearly 12% from 2016 to 2020. BGSU Votes aims to increase rates by another 10% or more in November's election.

Building on its success from 2023, BGSU Votes will staff a table outside the Bowen-Thompson Student Union five days a week, efforts that led to a marked increase in the number of students who registered to vote.

“Our success last year reinforces that meeting students where they are is integral to increasing engagement,” Lutes said.

In addition to the recognition from ALL IN, BGSU is ranked among the nation’s best by Washington Monthly for its impact on social mobility, research and public good, which measures voting engagement and registration rates.

BGSU is also one of a handful of universities in Ohio that hold the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a recognition of the University’s commitment to community and civic service, among other important things.  

Aligned with the University’s nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts, BGSU recently received a grant from the Help America Vote College Program from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to address the nation’s shortage of poll workers.

The Marvin Center will use the two-year, $77,000 grant to establish a Poll Worker Program to recruit and train about 300 eligible BGSU students to work at polling locations in Wood, Lucas, Hancock, Sandusky and Huron counties.  

BGSU was the only university in Ohio among 21 recipients nationwide to receive a grant.