Brandeis University has been named one of the “Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting” by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. This recognition, awarded to 471 campuses nationwide, highlights Brandeis’s outstanding efforts to promote nonpartisan student voter participation and civic engagement.
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, an initiative of Civic Nation, works to empower students as active participants in democracy. With more than 1,000 participating campuses and over 100,000 students nationwide, the program provides action plans, toolkits and resources to make voter registration and engagement more accessible. Its mission is to increase civic participation on college campuses and build a culture of democratic responsibility among students.
At Brandeis, these efforts are championed by VoteDeis, a nonpartisan coalition of students, faculty and staff committed to fostering voter participation. VoteDeis leads campus-wide initiatives such as voter registration drives, absentee ballot assistance and providing transportation to polling stations on election day. In one particularly creative effort to spark student interest, VoteDeis even brought a “Vote Goat” to campus as a fun and memorable way to encourage engagement.
VoteDeis collaborates with a range of campus partners, including the Dean of Students Office, the politics, journalism and legal studies departments, the Student Union, the Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation (ENACT), the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Intercultural Center. Together, these groups work to embed civic engagement into the university’s culture, ensuring students have the resources and support needed to actively participate in the democratic process.
To earn the ALL IN Most Engaged Campus designation, universities must complete several key actions. These include developing and implementing a comprehensive action plan for democratic engagement, participating in the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE), sharing voter turnout data and fostering ongoing programming around voter engagement. Brandeis’ successful completion of these actions reflects its dedication to empowering students and fostering a more engaged campus community.
The recognition is a significant milestone for Brandeis, underscoring the impact of its efforts to build civic responsibility among young voters. By encouraging students to participate in elections and take an active role in shaping their communities, the university not only boosts voter turnout but also instills lifelong habits of civic engagement.
Brandeis’s recognition by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge serves as a testament to the university’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and engaged campus. As a model for other institutions, Brandeis demonstrates how colleges can effectively mobilize their communities to strengthen democracy and ensure every voice is heard.
