MSU earns “Gold Campus” award for voter turnout

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Michigan State University was recently named a “gold” campus by a voting rights group for getting more students to the ballot box in 2022.

The special status was given to MSU by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for their work to increase turnout above the college average—and well above the national average.

This year, every vote counts, especially in a swing state like Michigan.

That’s why the staff at MSUVOTE have been making every effort to make sure that every student gets the chance to cast a ballot in 2024. They say it’s part of the university’s overall mission of teaching good citizenship and learning to act on their ideas.

“We do know that when students begin voting at this point in their lives, they end up making it a habit and they become lifelong participants in democracy, which is something that we, you know, feel is very important,” said Suchitra Webster, co-director of MSUVOTE.

People come to East Lansing from all over the country, so making sure that everyone is properly registered can be a challenge.

That’s why MSU has been working closely with local election officials over the past few years, doing things like registration drives and information sessions to make sure the voting process is easier than ever.

In that time, they’ve seen turnout improve dramatically, in fact, all that success has led to a new problem, long lines during the 2022 midterm elections took hours to get through—even after the polls had closed.

To help with that demand, MSU will be opening an early voting center on campus for the first time this year.

“People can come in and they can ask questions, register to vote or put a ballot through the tabulator if that’s something that they want to do prior to the 5th,” said Webster.

However, even though MSU has been recognized as one of the best universities in the country for voter turnout, officials say they still see room for improvement.

Over the next few weeks, there will be many more education opportunities for students who are still trying to find out how to make their voices heard on election day.

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