Increasing Voter Awareness

In the 2016 Presidential contest, fewer than half of eligible 18- to 29-year-olds voted, the lowest turnout of any age group. The College wants to increase students’ awareness of the importance of voting and see this number climb in 2020. The 2020 Presidential election is shaping up to be one of the most important in recent history and the College is encouraging students to educate themselves on why voting matters and make sure their voices are heard.

Participation in voter engagement is another way for our campus community to encourage the civic engagement that is a hallmark of a healthy and interconnected community.

As part of their general education credits, all incoming students must complete a citizenship course. Some political science courses delve into civic learning and democratic engagement, including the courses co-created by the CCE’s Glatfelter Public Policy Institute.

According to Phillips Thomas Hornbuckle, JD, Director of the Office of Intercultural Student Life and Global Programming and R. Caleb Doyle ’20, primary authors of the YCP Action and Strategic Plan: Voter Engagement, “York College demonstrates its commitment to improving civic learning and democratic engagement in our mission and vision, through community-focused initiatives under the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) and programs like the Developing Leadership Seminar have made civic engagement a pillar of its program.”

The College’s work to build upon our commitment and increase student voting awareness will be overseen by a committee that is composed of students, faculty, and administrators, who will apply guidance from experts and representatives for both NASPA’s Voter Friendly Campus Initiative and the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.

In addition to learning about the issues, students will need information such as the following:

How to complete voter registration forms
How to find your polling place
How to apply for an absentee ballot
How to participate in community town halls

For answers to these and other questions about voting, including COVID-19 changes, the YCP Action and Strategic Plan: Voter Engagement suggests two nonpartisan resources: