Des Moines Sun

Drake University has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) as a 2022 ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting. The ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting recognizes colleges and universities for making intentional efforts to increase student voter participation. Drake joins a group of 394 colleges and universities recognized by ALL IN for completing these four actions:

• Participate in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
• Shared 2020 NSLVE Reports with campus voting data with ALL IN
• Developed and submitted a 2022 democratic engagement action plan with ALL IN
• Have a current signatory to ALL IN’s Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation.

“Creating responsible global citizens is part of our mission,” said Drake University President Marty Martin. “The high level of civic engagement on our campus is a testament to our courses and programs, research initiatives, dedicated faculty and staff, and experiential opportunities that prepare students to be civic leaders, and it is the foundation we are building on to create the Center for Public Democracy.”

The Center for Public Democracy at Drake University is an initiative established through Drake’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, The Ones: Drake’s Campaign for the Brave & Bold. The interdisciplinary institute will create approaches to advance knowledge and public participation in American democracy through events, initiatives, research, and hands-on opportunities for students to engage in the political process.

Located in Iowa’s capital city of Des Moines, the Drake campus has been an important location for the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses. The University hosted presidential debates in 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2020, and Drake students help fill the staff of most presidential campaigns. Drake students are also active as interns and clerks at the nearby state capitol.

In the 2020 general election, more than eight in 10 (80.4%) Drake University students voted, far exceeding the national average of 66%, according to a national study published by Tufts University.

“College student voter turnout has increased since 2016, and this increase has been driven by students. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is excited to expand our ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll to recognize these student voting champions across the country,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “These students registered voters, served on their campus voting coalitions, spearheaded voter education efforts, advocated for campus polling locations, and organized other voter engagement efforts to ensure their peers were confident and informed voters. We are excited to see what they continue to accomplish ahead of the 2022 midterms.”

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 Challenge staff, to institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation on their campus. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge currently engages over 9 million students from more than 950 institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Campuses can join the ALL IN Challenge here.

Original source can be found here.