Linfield 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, which recognizes colleges and universities for making intentional efforts to increase student voter participation.
Interim Vice President of Student Affairs Jeff Mackay said this recognition is the culmination of years of effort by the entire Linfield community — ASLU student government, College Republicans and College Democrats who organize voting drives; faculty that host events like Pizza and Politics; and staff who support the political and diversity, equity and inclusion organizations that get students involved.
It is, he said, a foundational component of the way Linfield prepares students for the world ahead of them.
“When we look at our mission statement of learning, life and community, all those things play into civic engagement,” Mackay said. “Students are learning about the issues that are important to our state and nation, and then getting the tools to take that involvement forward into their lives beyond Linfield.”
Getting students to the polls, he said, is one small step in creating people who meaningfully invest in their communities, a central part of the Linfield ethos.
“We want our students to find themselves engaged in many levels of their communities — serving on the school board or PTA, volunteering with the Little League, spending time with the Chamber and downtown associations — those are all aspects of an informed and engaged citizen,” he said.
He highlighted both the College Republicans and the College Democrats, which not only inspire students of all ideologies but have a collegial and collaborative relationship with each other.
“All students, regardless of their political views, are welcome at that table and in that discussion,” he said.
This is the second time in as many months that Linfield students have been commended for electoral and civic participation; in October, Linfield University was awarded a Gold seal by the National Study of Learning, Voting & Engagement (NSLVE) for its voter participation. Seventy-seven percent of voting-eligible Linfield students voted in the 2020 election (compared to 68% for all other bachelor’s institutions), a huge jump from the 64% of students who voted in 2016. Linfield also received a Platinum seal from ALL IN in 2019 for a high rate of student voting in the 2018 midterms.
“College student voter turnout has increased since 2016, and this increase has been driven by students,” 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, and currently involves over 9 million students from more than 950 institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Recognized institutions commit to the following:
- 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.
