The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) is gearing up to make a big splash on college campuses across the United States this National Voter Registration Day. This nonpartisan initiative is dedicated to improving civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation among college students. ALL IN’s influence is far-reaching, with more than 1,030 campuses participating across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. This network serves over 9.9 million students, including 232 community colleges, 256 minority-serving institutions, 158 Hispanic-serving institutions, and 47 Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs).
Young people represent a critical voting bloc in American politics, with more than 40 million Gen Zers preparing to vote in 2024. However, as Jen Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of ALL IN, points out, college students face unique challenges when it comes to voting. Many have turned 18 recently and may be voting for the first time. Additionally, students often move for college, which can complicate their voter registration status.
ALL IN has identified several measures that significantly impact ballot access for young voters. States offering same-day voter registration see notably higher turnout among young voters. States that automatically register young people when they interact with government agencies see a 3.5 point increase in youth turnout. Pre-registration, which allows 17-year-olds to register to vote if they will be 18 at the time of the next election, has registered more than 2.1 million teenagers across the country since 2016. In the 2020 election, states with wider access to vote-by-mail saw an average youth turnout rate of 57%, compared to only 42% in states with more limited vote by mail policies.
ALL IN empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement through a structured program that provides students with support and recognition. Their approach includes convening campus-wide voting coalitions, developing data-informed action plans to increase student voting rates, and participating in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) to track student voter registration and turnout. “Campuses that join ALL IN develop and implement a data-informed action plan to increase student voting rates, which we’ve seen successfully increase voter registration rates on campus,” Domagal-Goldman explains.
For National Voter Registration Day 2024, ALL IN is mobilizing its extensive network of campuses. Their efforts include email outreach, social media campaigns, and on-campus registration events. But their work doesn’t stop there: ALL IN is committed to “making democratic engagement programs a defining feature of campus life and culture—this NVRD and beyond.” By focusing on recruiting and supporting community colleges and Minority Serving Institutions, ALL IN is also working to close student voter participation gaps based on demographics such as age and race. They also recognize that it’s important to lift up our wins in this line of work, which is why they celebrate the achievements of their university and college partners during their biennial awards ceremony.
At the end of the day, for ALL IN, NVRD poses the perfect opportunity to nurture an active, informed citizenry by “educating students, motivating them to engage in American democracy, and instilling the value of lifelong participation.” Based on ALL IN’s track record and plans for the holiday, we have no doubt they’ll continue to make major contributions to efforts bringing young Americans into the fold of our democracy, getting them fired up to make their voices heard in this, and every, election.