{"id":216576,"date":"2021-11-02T15:16:51","date_gmt":"2021-11-02T19:16:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=216576"},"modified":"2021-11-02T15:16:51","modified_gmt":"2021-11-02T19:16:51","slug":"rocking-the-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2021\/11\/02\/rocking-the-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"Rocking The Vote"},"content":{"rendered":"

Already a top university for student voting, student voter participation at Montclair State University rose more than 17% during the 2020 presidential election, according to a new report from the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education<\/a> (IDHE).<\/p>\n

The report<\/a>, called the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, shows 71% of Red Hawks voted during last year\u2019s election \u2013 up from 53.3% in 2016. The 2020 mark is 5% higher than the national average on college and university campuses, showcasing Montclair\u2019s commitment to civic and voter engagement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a sign of how very aware this generation of students is of what is going on in the world around them, and wanting their voices to be heard,\u201d says Mariel Pagan, director of the Center for Student Involvement<\/a> at Montclair. \u201cI think it\u2019s wonderful that our students are getting out there and doing that through voting, and that our efforts to give them the resources they need to make informed decisions are paying dividends.\u201d<\/p>\n

Housed in the Center for Student Involvement, the Office of Civic and Voter Engagement<\/a> at Montclair provides students with the necessary resources to register to vote and learn about issues at stake in upcoming elections.<\/p>\n

It partners with the Andrew Goodman Foundation<\/a> and its Vote Everywhere<\/a> program \u2013 a nonpartisan, experiential program that recruits, trains and supports emerging leaders at colleges and universities across the country \u2013 to create on-campus experiences that encourage student voter participation.<\/p>\n

The Office creates and facilitates a holistic approach to student voter engagement through a variety of on-campus initiatives. Annual events centered around National Voter Registration Day have become a campus staple, with increased resources now available to help students take advantage of online voter registration capabilities.<\/p>\n

In addition, the Montclair State Votes Coalition combines the efforts of the Office and other campus partners to create awareness strategies and ensure voter registration resources are made available throughout campus, including in residence halls. Montclair also participates in the New Jersey Ballot Bowl<\/a> \u2013 a statewide competition among colleges and universities to see who can register the most student voters and have them pledge to vote \u2013 having placed either first or second in the competition every year since its inception in 2018.<\/p>\n

The initiatives have earned Montclair a designation as a \u201cVoter Friendly Campus\u201d on Washington Monthly\u2019s<\/i> list of \u201cBest Colleges for Student Voting\u201d in 2020.<\/p>\n

The study\u2019s results were unveiled with voting already underway for another election that will impact Montclair\u2019s students, faculty and staff: the 2021 New Jersey Gubernatorial election.<\/p>\n

\u201cVoting in all elections \u2013 not just the presidential election \u2013 is critical to ensuring your voice is heard,\u201d says Pagan. \u201cSo I encourage all members of the Montclair State University community to vote in today\u2019s election and make sure you continue to make an impact in your community.\u201d<\/p>\n