Ahead of 2024 Elections, ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Announces New Presidents’ Council Leadership

More than 625 college and university presidents have committed to 100% voter registration and turnout ahead of the 2024 elections 

Today, ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge announced that 13 college and university presidents will serve on their Presidents’ Council in 2024. This group will lead more than 625 college and university presidents, provosts and chancellors who have committed to full student voter registration and participation in the 2024 elections through the ALL IN Presidents’ Commitment. The council will be chaired by Dr. Brad L. Mortensen, President of Weber State University. A full list of Presidents’ Council members is available here. 

“An estimated 8 million young people will be newly eligible to vote in 2024, and we want to make sure every college student can cast their ballot,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “Amidst efforts to suppress the student vote, higher education leaders have a critical role to play in creating a culture of nonpartisan civic engagement and voter participation on their campuses.” 

“It is an honor to serve alongside fellow leaders in advocacy for nonpartisan voter and civic engagement. As higher education leaders, we can motivate our campus community and partners to actively engage in the democratic process. In doing so, we can foster an environment that supports all voices. When more voices are heard through voting and other healthy engagement, democracy becomes stronger,” said Presidents Council Chair Dr. Brad L. Mortensen.

While youth voter turnout has risen in recent years, there is still work to be done to encourage young people to register and vote. Only 23% percent of youth under 30 voted in the 2022 midterm elections. ALL IN has continuously grown the number of college and university presidents committed to full student voter participation on their campuses. Since the 2022 midterms, the number of Presidents’ Commitment signatories has nearly doubled. 

The Presidents’ Council and the Presidents’ Commitment are a part of ALL IN’s mission to challenge institutions to make nonpartisan voter registration a priority on college campuses across the country. The council is informed by past legislation surrounding voter participation, including the 1998 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, both of which frontiered avenues for college campuses to directly involve their students in the civic process.

Higher education leaders have a responsibility to prepare students to become responsible and engaged participants in the country’s democracy, and that includes exercising their right to register and vote. Leaders who make the Presidents’ Commitment pledge to:

• Strive toward full student voter participation by designating staff to lead this effort among the campus community;
• Acknowledge the importance of students’ voice in all elections, preparing students to be informed and active citizens and creating experiences to help students become lifelong voters;
• Empower faculty, staff, students and community stakeholders to come together and determine solutions to the problems communities face;
• Educate voters to make informed decisions about issues and candidates in presidential, national, state and local elections; and
• Actively participate in a democratic engagement action plan to bolster an institutional culture that supports curricular and co-curricular involvement in the electoral process.

The members have committed to supporting all institutions with nonpartisan full student voter participation efforts. The full list of signatories can be found here.