St. Olaf once again earns national award for top student voting rate
St. Olaf College was recognized by ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) for its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that led 90 percent of student voters to register to vote and 67 percent of students to vote in the 2022 midterm elections. St. Olaf had the highest voting rate of any of the more than 500 colleges and universities that participated in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
“Civic preparedness is at the heart of higher education’s contribution to the public good and our democracy. St. Olaf’s commitment to fostering students to be engaged members of their communities is reflected in receiving this national recognition,” says St. Olaf President Susan Rundell Singer. “We know that a holistic education, supported by the academic rigor of a liberal arts education, prepares students to seek the wisdom and courage to create a better tomorrow.”
Out of more than 500 colleges and universities, St. Olaf received five awards for 2022 voter engagement:
- Champion Award for Highest Undergraduate Voting Rate Overall
- Champion Award for Highest Voting Rate Overall
- Best in Class Award for Highest Voting Rate at a Private 4-Year Institution
- 2022 MIAC Votes Highest Registration Rate
- 2022 MIAC Votes Highest Voting Rate
These awards reflect St. Olaf’s commitment to ensuring that nonpartisan democratic engagement is a defining feature of campus life. Additionally, St. Olaf received the Diamond Seal from All IN based on a voting rate of over 60 percent according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) report.
“Civic preparedness is at the heart of higher education’s contribution to the public good and our democracy. St. Olaf’s commitment to fostering students to be engaged members of their communities is reflected in receiving this national recognition. We know that a holistic education, supported by the academic rigor of a liberal arts education, prepares students to seek the wisdom and courage to create a better tomorrow.”
— St. Olaf President Susan Rundell Singer
“I am so proud of our students for showing up at the ballot box and supporting each other in exercising their civic rights,” says Academic Civic Engagement Program Director Alyssa Melby. “Every new incoming class has new eligible voters, so this work is always ongoing — but with the help of our student leaders, Oles are continuing to build the civic culture they want to see.”
This is the second election cycle year St. Olaf has been recognized by All IN for having one of the top student voting rates of any college campus in the country since joining the national organization in 2019. For the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the college is working with student election ambassadors in educating the campus community about the different ways to participate in and beyond the election.
In addition to the election ambassador work this year, the Flaten Art Museum at St. Olaf College is hosting Practicing Democracy: 150 Years of St. Olaf Student Civic Engagement, an exhibit that explores and promotes St. Olaf student civic engagement as the college marks its 150th anniversary. Decades of engagement and activism paved the way for St. Olaf College to lead voter engagement among U.S. colleges and universities today. The Institute for Freedom and Community is also hosting a series of lectures on democracy and dialogue on an array of election topics, such as immigration policy.
“I am so proud of our students for showing up at the ballot box and supporting each other in exercising their civic rights. Every new incoming class has new eligible voters, so this work is always ongoing — but with the help of our student leaders, Oles are continuing to build the civic culture they want to see.”
— Academic Civic Engagement Program Director Alyssa Melby
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. St. Olaf College was recognized alongside more than 500 campuses using data from the NSLVE out of Tufts University, which found that colleges and universities had the second-highest voter turnout among students in a midterm election since NSLVE began measuring this data.
“The ALL IN Awards were created to celebrate nonpartisan democratic engagement and the outstanding campus voter registration and turnout rates achieved by our ALL IN campuses. Ahead of the 2024 elections, ALL IN campuses are ready to build on the momentum from 2022 to ensure their communities are ready to make an even bigger impact this fall,” says Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “ALL IN is proud to celebrate and honor top-performing campuses, like St. Olaf College, who demonstrate that nonpartisan student voter engagement is possible and effective.”