For the first time, Kent State University has been designated as a Voter Friendly Campus for 2019-20.
The Voter Friendly Campus initiative, led by national nonpartisan organizations Campus Vote Project and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, acknowledged Kent State’s goals to break down barriers and empower students with the information and tools they need to participate in the political process.
“This recognition allows us to continue to further spotlight the importance of voting and to connect more Kent State students in the political process so they can live lives of impact, now and in the future,” said Craig Berger, assistant director of Community Engaged Learning.
The mission of the Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster efforts that help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process.
“In 2018, we recognized the challenges associated with students voting, like changing addresses and busy schedules,” Mr. Berger said.
Kent State was evaluated based on a campus plan about how they would engage student voters in 2018, how they facilitated democratic engagement efforts on campus and a final analysis of their efforts.
Kent State participated in many efforts to educate the campus on the voting process.
Kent State students and staff members teamed up to organize “Kent State Votes,” an initiative that registered as many students to vote as possible, educated potential voters about candidates and issues that would appear on the ballot and provided students with information about voting locations and hours.
“When students vote, their unique perspectives shape the laws and systems that govern their everyday lives and they gain power over their own realities,” Mr. Berger said.
Along with nine other universities in Ohio, Kent State is part of a select group of campuses from around the country that participated and received the designation. This designation is valid through December 2020.
To view Kent State Votes social media, visit https://twitter.com/KentStateVotes and www.facebook.com/KentStateVotes.