On Nov. 8, 2021, The University of Delaware received the 2021 Gold Seal for excellence in student voter engagement from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. All In hosted its third biennial awards ceremony to recognize select higher education institutions, educators, and students for their extraordinary work in student voter engagement during the 2020 presidential election.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and most students learning virtually, U.S. college campuses ensured students across the country could cast their ballots. The 2020 presidential election engaged the largest and most diverse group of college students in U.S. history.
More than 840 institutions enrolling close to nine million students participate in the ALL IN Challenge. Visit the All In Campus Democracy Challenge website to view the full list of seal awardees.
In 2019, the All In Challenge presented UD with a gold seal for excellence in student voter engagement because it achieved a voter participation rate of 40% to 49% during the 2018 Midterm Election.
In 2016, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge awarded the University of Delaware a bronze seal for having a student voting rate between 50% and 59% during the 2016 presidential electon.
With guidance from CPC Associate Director Lindsay Hoffman, the University of Delaware has continued its commitment to increasing voter engagement.
"We are so proud of our students for making this really remarkable change in voter registration and voter turnout," said Hoffman. "It can be hard for college students to vote when they are out of state or moving frequently, but the online registration system—Turbovote―has made it easier to register and get reminders about where and how to vote, no matter your home state. This national recognition wouldn't be possible without a dedicated group of faculty, staff, administrators, and students who are committed to increasing political and civic engagement at UD."
The achievement also earned UD recognition in Washington Monthly’s 2021 Best Colleges for Student Voting Honor Roll. Since 2016, the nonprofit magazine has ranked UD among the top schools for high student voter turnout.
To encourage schools to work at bettering turnout, Washington Monthly used the All In Campus Democracy Challenge and the NSLVE information to compile the student voting honor roll. The listed schools met multiple criteria:
- Submitted an ALL IN action plan in 2018 and 2020
- Signed up to receive NSLVE data about their own campus registration and turnout rates
- Made both their 2016 and 2018 NSLVE data available to the public
- Demonstrated a repeated commitment to increasing student voting and been transparency about results