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Dustin Luca
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WASHINGTON D.C. – Salem State University has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as a most engaged campus for its voter engagement efforts during the recently concluded 2024 general election.
In the run-up to the electrifying presidential election, the university’s Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politics (Berry IOP) ran an equally energized campaign to ensure Salem State students were engaged. The Berry IOP’s team of Vikings Vote Ambassadors registered about 400 students to vote. With an on-campus polling place run by the city of Salem, 370 Salem State students voted on on-campus, on election day with other students voting at their respective polling location, through early voting, or a via mail-in ballot. The Berry IOP also ran a “Party at the Polls” all election day to celebrate the tradition of voting with the Salem State community, alumni, faculty, and other Salem residents coming to vote.
For all of that, Salem State joined 470 other universities named this week by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as a Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting.
“Casting a ballot on election day is among the highest responsibilities a citizen has, and it’s a duty we take seriously at Salem State. We’re honored to be recognized again for our student voter engagement efforts in the latest major election cycle,” university President John D. Keenan said. “Civic engagement is at the core of our mission here at Salem State University, and there’s no greater way to support the civic health of the Commonwealth than through voter engagement efforts.”
The honor comes after two more recognitions from ALL IN were awarded to Salem State University in the months leading up to the election. That includes a “Highly Established Action Plan” seal awarded to Salem State in August for its dedicated and strategic plans ahead of the 2024 general elections, and a Silver Seal issued in September for Salem State’s efforts to register and then get students to vote in the 2022 midterm elections.
“It feels wonderful to get the recognition from ALL IN,” said Hannah Levine, assistant director of the Frederick E. Berry Institute of Politics. “It recognizes the hard work that our students have performed and how dedicated they are to our democracy, to helping educate their fellow peers and get them involved. The work that the Vikings Vote Ambassadors did is so crucial to our overall community. We’re the Commonwealth’s civic engagement university, and that was just proven with our voter engagement efforts.”
Salem State joins a group of 471 colleges and universities recognized by ALL IN for completing four core actions:
· Participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
· Sharing 2022 NSLVE Reports with campus voting data with ALL IN
· Developing and submitting a 2024 democratic engagement action plan with ALL IN
· Having a current signatory to ALL IN’s Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation.
“The research is clear: colleges and universities that make intentional efforts to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement have higher campus voter registration and voter turnout rates. This year we saw more colleges than ever before step up their efforts to ensure that their students were registered and ready to make their voices heard at the ballot box,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “These Most Engaged Campuses are setting the standard for nonpartisan civic engagement work for colleges and universities across the country.”
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Campuses that join the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge complete a set of action items, with the support of ALL IN staff, to institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning and voter participation on their campus. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge currently engages 10.8 million students from more than 1,075 institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Campuses can join the ALL IN Challenge here.