Voter turnout from Manhattan College students increased 14 percentage points in the 2018 federal midterm elections, compared to 2014.

That increase earned Manhattan students a Bronze Award from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, sponsored by the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, an initiative of Tufts University’s Institute for Democracy & Higher Education.

“We are excited to honor Manhattan College with an ALL IN Challenge bronze seal in recognition of their intentional efforts to increase democratic engagement and full voter participation,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “More institutions like Manhattan College are changing culture on campus by institutionalizing nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that are resulting in the incredible student voter turnout rates that we’ve seen across the country.”

Campuses with 20-29% voter participation in the 2018 midterm elections, when voter turnout is historically lower than presidential elections, received a Bronze Award from the ALL IN Challenge. Twenty-two percent of Manhattan College students voted in the 2018 elections, compared to eight percent who voted in 2014.

Manhattan College’s voter turnout in the 2016 presidential election was 44.9 percent, and the College has set a goal of 55 percent turnout in this year’s presidential election.

“We are proud that our efforts led to a significant increase in turnout in the 2018 election,” said Margaret Groarke, Ph.D., professor of political science at Manhattan College. “We are developing a plan to register students, get them informed and excited, help them get absentee ballots or get to the polls, and maximize our turnout in 2020.”

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is a nonpartisan, national initiative recognizing and supporting campuses as they work to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement and full student voter participation. The Challenge encourages higher education institutions to help students form the habits of active and informed citizenship, and make democratic participation a core value on their campuses.