Students pushed for more civic engagement among their peers during the inaugural Ballot Bowl at Rutgers University, where New Jersey college students were recognized for their efforts to register as many voters as they can before the midterm election.

“What we need in our democracy is civic engagement,” said 20-year-old Landon Myers, a political science student at Monmouth University. “We need to be more involved than just registering to vote. We need to be more involved than just going to vote.”

Myers and dozens of other students participated in voter registration drives over the last few weeks on their campuses to compete in the Ballot Bowl, a program started by New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way that pitted college campuses across the state against each other to score the highest number of registered voters.

A democracy-driven version of the Super Bowl, as one student put it.

Way even invited New York Giants safety Michael Thomas to present the trophies to the winning schools in the multipurpose room at Rutgers' College Avenue Student Center in New Brunswick, where dozens of students gathered to celebrate their results.

There were three winners, one for each division marked by student population – colleges with 40,000-plus students, 5,000 to 40,000 students, or up to 5,000 students.

“One more voter to help in our ongoing experiment in American democracy is so very much necessary in this inflection point of our history,” Way said.

Rutgers-Newark registered more than 1,000 voters on campus ahead of the midterm elections, winning in its division of 40,000-plus students. Montclair State University reported 730 voter registrations for a student population between 5,000 and 40,000. Meanwhile, Monmouth University registered 325 students, coming out on top among schools with a student population under 5,000.

Whether a college came out on top in its division or not, the mission of the Ballot Bowl to increase voter registration among college-aged students was achieved, Way said.

“We must continue to engage, to know our issues, to recognize our polling places on Nov. 6, to show up, to have our voice matter through the ballot box,” Way said.

The Rutgers-New Brunswick campus increased its voter registration efforts through the Center for Youth Political Participation at Rutgers Eagleton Institute of Politics and student-run organizations such as the nonpartisan New Jersey Political Information Research Group.

With the midterm elections less than a week away, organizations on campuses throughout the state have shifted their efforts to make sure students get to the polls.

In the week leading up to Election Day, NJPIRG members said they planned to hold “pre-Election Day” parties in common areas that students frequent and “polling place parties” on Nov. 6 to help draw potential voters to the polls.

As the secretary of state and the state’s chief election official, Way oversees statewide voter engagement. Way also started “Vote for Valor” this year, which encourages voters to pay tribute to a veteran or active duty service member by dedicating their vote to them.

“We need to go beyond the ballot box and become involved in our communities,” Myers said.

Email: carrera@northjersey.com