The student vote: Why it counts and how colleges can help in the process

Jan 5, 2022

By: Chris Burt

A mission for most colleges and universities is to ensure students graduate and become global and community leaders. Building awareness of civic duty and separating fact from fiction also helps them become better citizens and more likely to take part in voting.

College students have been a key demographic component of the past three election cycles, becoming far more actively involved around issues such as racial and social justice, climate change and the economy. However, many young voters who want to navigate the complex system face obstacles—such as gerrymandering, for example—and need guidance.

“For us, foundationally, if you’re not helping teach the newest members of democracy about how the political process works and what different officials do and the impact that it can have on their lives and their community, you are failing to live up to that civic mission,” says Mike Burns, national director of Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project.

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