Electoral Engagement
Campus Vote 2012
The Campus Vote 2012 Initiative (CV 2012) is a non-partisan, national effort to increase college student participation in the 2012 elections and to cultivate student leadership and development on participating campuses through electoral engagement. Our goal is to have a positive impact on student engagement in the 2012 elections and also to carry forward the student leadership and development piece of the Initiative through the election to become a continued piece of CCC programming.
Through resource development, program support and mini-grants, Colorado Campus Compact will be working with institutions of higher education in Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Wyoming on the following CV 2012 activities (this is just a sampling of the types of activities that may fall under each category):
Our Campus Election Engagement Project is being lead by Phoenix Mourning-Star, who is a graduate of Mathematics (BS), Biostatistics (MS), International Environmental and Human Rights Laws (LLM/MLS), Epidemiology (MSc), and is now completing his PhD in Bioenergy and Ecology at Colorado State University. Phoenix is also the head of the Colorado State University Center for Experiential Leadership, Action and Beyond (E-LAB). He utilizes his skills, networks and lifelong knowledge to help create and implement research programs as well as recruiting students and education leaders from K-12 through higher education to collaborate on the education goals of society. Email Phoenix at campusvote [at] regis [dot] edu.
Voter Awareness & Education
• Hosting dialogues (both in person and via social media/blogs) for students to discuss key election issues;
• Supporting student productions of videos and other media discussing the importance of democratic participation;
• Engaging student governments and academic departments in candidate and issue forums.
Voter Registration
• Organizing webinars to educate campus stakeholders about voter registration rules, regulations, and strategies;
• Developing a web-based clearinghouse for resources specific to voter registration in each participating state;
• Creating civic reflection and civic development materials to share with students.
Voter Turnout
• Working with colleges and universities to make voting a simple process for students (mail-in ballot drop boxes on campus, etc.);
• Create tracking systems to assess the impact of CV 2012 through actual student voter turnout;
• Host post-election events and/or provide other means of incentivizing voting for students.
Student Leadership & Development
• Identify student leadership on campus to spearhead and/or participate in CV 2012 planning and implementation;
• Create a statewide student leadership council through CCC to connect student leaders and provide additional student development opportunities;
• Connect student leaders for CV 2012 to academic courses and internships for credit;
• Provide clear learning outcomes for students participating in CV 2012 activities (communication, media relations, budgeting, strategic planning, grant writing, etc.).
CAMPUS VOTE MINI GRANTS NOW AVAILABLE
In support of Campus Vote 2012, CCC is offering 10 mini grants of $1,000 a piece to support campus projects that encourage student involvment in the upcoming election. Applications, which can be found here, are due to Phoenix Mourning-Star at campusvote [at] regis [dot] edu on August 15, 2012. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance on August 18, 2012.
Campus Vote 2010
By 2015, young voters will make up one-third of the US electorate. And yet in Colorado’s last presidential election only half of eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 25 voted. Perhaps that’s because many young people feel skeptical about the power of their vote, or prefer the more hands-on involvement of direct service and volunteerism. But in fact, there’s never been a better time to engage young voters in ways that are personal, powerful, and immediate.
- “We know students crave meaningful involvement;" says CCC Membership Services Coordinator Lauren Alweis, who manages the Election Fellows Program, "our goal is to provide programming that gives them a deeper understanding of the democratic process and inspires them to participate in concrete, impactful ways.”
Since its founding, CCC’s commitment to election work has grown in depth and scope. Recent initiatives, such as Campus Vote, helped to register more than 30,000 new young voters with innovative projects—from canvassing to playfully hosting candidate boxing matches in bouncy castles—all to inspire student excitement and involvement.
Election Fellows Program
More recently, CCC has teamed up with faculty and staff from CCC member campuses as well as with community partners, such as Colorado Common Cause and local elections divisions, to create the Election Fellows Program. Thanks to a grant from the Elections Assistance Commission, CCC has been able to create a comprehensive curriculum and hands-on experience that brings young people to work the polls on Election Day, so they can feel the power of democracy in action.
Currently, CCC offered two program options for students based on geographic location. The Denver program is a lecture-based and includes in-person meetings and discussion. For course information click on the appropriate link: Online program & Denver program.
To see the Final Report on the Election Fellows Program, please click here: http://www.cccompact.org/sites/default/files/CEF%20Final%20Grant%20Report.pdf
CCC’s Election Fellows Program is based on work supported by a grant from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Any opinion, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the EAC.
