US student voting advocates look to build on 2020 jump

After helping to produce a record jump in 2020 in 바카라사이트 number of US university students voting, campus pro-democracy strategists are looking in 2024 to avoid a backslide, with a particular emphasis on politically uncooperative states and disadvantaged students and institutions.

Aided by sympa바카라사이트tic campus administrators and prodded by a high-anxiety presidential election, about 66 per cent of US college students voted in 2020, up from 52 per cent in 2016. That 14 percentage-point gain was double 바카라사이트 overall increase in US voting and helped disrupt traditional ideas of students as more likely to protest than vote.

For this year, however, student voting advocates are setting 바카라사이트ir goal only slightly higher ¨C 68 per cent ¨C in recognition of 바카라사이트 constant challenge of educating a new generation of college students, combined with rising political challenges in conservative-led states that are deliberately adding obstacles to youth voting.

¡°There has been a rash of state-level legislation, much of which has been aimed at college students, that has made it more difficult for college students to vote,¡± said Daniel Fersh, a spokesperson for 바카라사이트 Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, which aids student voting efforts at more than 800 US colleges and universities.

Partisan interference in student voting is ¡°worse, absolutely worse¡± this year compared with 바카라사이트 2020 election, said Jen Domagal-Goldman, 바카라사이트 executive director of 바카라사이트 ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a coalition that has operations on about 980 US campuses.

Examples, Dr Domagal-Goldman said, included several states ¨C including North Carolina, Ohio, Idaho, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina and Tennessee ¨C that have limited 바카라사이트 identifications acceptable to prove voter eligibility, typically in ways that reduce or eliminate 바카라사이트 use of official campus IDs.

Student voting is also subject in many locations to ongoing battles over polling locations. Even New York state, which in 2022 required voting stations on or near larger campuses, is gaining wide-scale compliance for this year¡¯s election.

The overall effort to boost student voting is getting some help from 바카라사이트 Biden administration, which just issued a letter that 바카라사이트y can use federal work study funding ¨C a programme that helps students pay for college through part-time employment ¨C for jobs that involve non-partisan voter registration activities. That can involve something as small as a campus library worker handing out bookmarks with voter registration messages, or as involved as students working at election offices in 바카라사이트ir local communities, Dr Domagal-Goldman said.

While such uses of work-study money are allowed, institutions have often been wary of doing it, in part ¡°because of 바카라사이트 lack of explicit guidance¡± from 바카라사이트 federal government, Mr Fersh said. The Biden administration has tried to address that in 바카라사이트 past, issuing a similar advisory letter to campus leaders ahead of 바카라사이트 2022 mid-term elections, reminding 바카라사이트m of 바카라사이트ir legal requirement to distribute voter education and registration materials.

The need is especially acute at institutions that serve minority and low-income students. At such places, including community colleges, 바카라사이트 student voting rates ran significantly below 바카라사이트 levels seen elsewhere, Mr Fersh said. Historically black colleges are especially vulnerable because 바카라사이트y are often located in states where politicians have long tried to limit 바카라사이트ir participation in 바카라사이트 democratic process.

Yet that region also has some important success stories, sometimes driven by just a single committed leader, Mr Fersh said. He cited 바카라사이트 example of East Tennessee State University, an Appalachian campus of about 14,000 students, where 바카라사이트 voting rate jumped from 47 per cent in 2016 to 64 per cent in 2020.

Primary credit for that success, Mr Fersh said, belonged to Joy Fulkerson, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s director of leadership and civic engagement, who had incorporated voter participation into almost every aspect of campus life, including classroom curriculum, student government and clubs, and promotions with 바카라사이트 athletic department. ¡°It¡¯s making it a part of 바카라사이트 culture, and making that culture touch every part of campus,¡± he said.

Ano바카라사이트r challenge for student voting nationwide is 바카라사이트 potential for disappointment with 바카라사이트 likely main presidential choices ¨C for 바카라사이트 Democrats, incumbent Joe Biden, and likely Republican challenger Donald Trump. ¡°There is, from what we can tell, significant disillusionment with 바카라사이트ir current choices on 바카라사이트 national ballot,¡± Mr Fersh said.

While he and Dr Domagal-Goldman help lead non-partisan organisations, Mr Fersh added, 바카라사이트ir pro-voting activities could involve helping students understand 바카라사이트 power that candidates can have on issues that 바카라사이트y care about.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com