Student Engagement

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The United States has seen a historic rise in voter engagement, but many young first-time voters may lack access to information about how and where to vote in official elections. Despite the challeges, the voting rate of University of Delaware students​ increased significantly in the 2020 presidential election, rising to 75 percent in 2020 from a rate of 55.5% in 2016. In November 2021, UD received the 2021 Gold Seal for excellence in student voter engagement from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. ​The achievement also earned UD recognition in Washington Monthly’s 2021 Best Colleges for Student Voting Honor Roll. Read about the University of Delaware's national recognition for student voter rates in 2021, including a Gold​ Seal.​

To learn more, read the UDa​ily story about UD's Sept. 2022 poll of registered Delaware voters. Listen to interviews with the candidates on Delaware Public Media's Candidate Conversations, hosted by Tom Byrne.​ Also check out these campus resources.

Civic responsibility doesn't end after Election Day. To hold your elected officials accountable, sign up for UD's IssueVoter​, an online platform that sends your opinions directly to your representative. Also use the tool to receive targeted alerts before Congress votes and track your representative's votes and bill outcomes. Are you looking for ideas on sharing IssueVoter on campus? Here are some helpful tips​ from IssueVoter to get the word out:

• Publicize at events and where students gather.
• Connect with established groups.
• Connect with leaders.
• Communicate virtually.
  

Don't miss out on the next election. Use UD's TurboVote (udel.turbovote.org) to sign up for voting reminders and get help with voter registration and voting by mail. Many students have already signed up, so why not join them?​

Also check out How to Vote to find out what your state is doing to safeguard upcoming elections.

​Learn more about CPC programs like National Agenda​, Delaware Debates, and Voices of ​UD​. 

Each fall, the UD community has the opportunity to engage with political insiders, journalists, authors, and public figures at the annual National Agenda speaker series​. Past speakers include Joe Biden, Chris Christie, David Hogg, and Sarah McBride. 

On election years, UD invites Delaware's gubernatorial and congressional candidates to meet for Delaware Debates​, a public forum to discuss their positions on issues that matter most to the state's voters.  

The Voices of UD​ initiative gives UD students a public platform to discuss social and political issues. The Center for Political Communication will share audio or video messages by students on its website and social media channels. Students may also decide to enter a contest hosted by the CPC. 

​For the latest news about campus programs and events, follow the CPC's Instagram​ and join the email list​.

• Get involved at UD ... To learn about events and student groups, visit the Division of Student Life (udel.edu)​
• Get involved with your community ... Learn more at UD's Community Engagement Initiat​ive page.
• Watch a James R. Soles Lecture​, presented annually by the Department of Political Science and International Relations to observe Constitution Day.
• Explore UD Library's virtual exhibits. The Trail to the Voti​ng Booth displays political ephemera dating back to 1775.  The Votes for Delaware Women documents Delaware’s part in the struggle to secure voting rights for all women 100 years ago.​​​
  

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