ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Three-fourths of Winthrop University students cast ballots in the 2020 election, making the institution one of the top voting schools in the country.
Overall 74.5 percent of Winthrop students voted in 2020, up 17.8 percent from 2016. The national average for universities is 66 percent in 2020.
“Winthrop targeted areas for voting education where there was less engagement in 2016. We also upped our usage of social media, working with student Voting Ambassadors on a digital campaign to reach the entire student body. With these latest results, Winthrop increased voter participation in every category of race, gender, ethnicity, age, and in every major area of study,” said Katarina Moyon, director of the John C. West Forum on Politics and Policy.
Winthrop was recognized this week during the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge at its third biennial awards ceremony. The event honored 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, the honorees 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. Winthrop received the 2021 Gold Seal award, which is given to institutions that achieve a student voter engagement rate of 70-80 percent. Winthrop is one of only two public S.C. higher education institutions to receive the Gold Seal award. More than 840 institutions enrolling close to nine million students participate in the ALL IN Challenge.
The 2020 election cycle saw unprecedented voter registration and turnout among college students according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), a research study of the Institute for Democracy in Higher Education (IDHE) at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. IDHE reported that 66 percent of college students voted in the 2020 election, a 14-point increase from 2016.
“The rise in voter participation and engagement for college students in last year’s presidential election amidst a global pandemic was tremendous and will undoubtedly be tied to the tireless efforts of the dedicated students, faculty, administrators and partner organizations that are part of the ALL IN Challenge network,” said Jen Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “The hard work of these trailblazing honorees will help support many of the country’s future leaders in fulfilling the equitable, engaged vision of democracy to which we aspire.”
About the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) is a national, nonpartisan initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) organization. ALL IN strives for a more inclusive democracy—one in which all voices are heard. ALL IN believes that higher education plays a role in graduating students into voters and in closing electoral participation gaps that persist by race and age. Through an intentionally designed program—which provides structure, support and recognition—ALL IN strengthens college and university efforts to improve civic learning, political engagement and voter participation. Ensuring that students are registered to vote and participate in all elections is a key component of ALL IN’s work.
Learn more and see a full list of winning campuses at https://allinchallenge.org/awards-ceremony.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, Winthrop’s news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu or at 803/323-2404.
