College Union polling place (SUNY Geneseo/Matt Burkhartt)
SUNY Geneseo has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as a 2022 ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting, which recognizes colleges and universities for efforts to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement and student voting.
Geneseo met several requirements for the recognition, including developing a 2022 democratic action plan and being a signatory to ALL IN’s Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation. Nick Palumbo, assistant dean of students for leadership and service, said the College provides easy and accessible ways to register to vote during orientation, in residence halls, and in the College Union. The Geneseo Student Association and civically engaged student groups also advocate for registration via social media. Student ambassadors on campus, through the Andrew Goodman Foundation, also lead nonpartisan efforts and organize candidate and official forums.
"Geneseo students live the college’s value of civic engagement,” says Palumbo. “Despite the barriers created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Geneseo students continue to educate and motivate their fellow peers to participate in our political process. The explicit commitment of our college community to civic engagement challenges Geneseo students to engage in our democratic processes and creates the conditions for developing ethical and engaged citizens. Our recognition as an ALL IN Most Engaged Campus is a direct reflection of Geneseo's hard work of not only getting students registered but getting them to the polls."
For example, 3,251 Geneseo students voted in the 2020 presidential election, according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) conducted by the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education (IDHE) at Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life. In 2020, 4,185 Geneseo students were registered to vote out of an eligible 4,766. Geneseo’s voter rate was 68 percent in 2020—making it 2 percentage points higher than the national average of 66 percent.
For access to the full 2020 NSLVE report, please visit Geneseo Votes or click here.