Haverford Recognized as a 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting

In mid-November, Haverford was recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as a 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting. The ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation. Haverford joins a group of 471 colleges and universities recognized by ALL IN for completing four core actions:

• Participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
• Sharing 2022 NSLVE Reports with campus voting data with ALL IN
• Developing and submitting a 2024 democratic engagement action plan with ALL IN
• Having a current signatory to ALL IN’s Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation. 
 
"Supporting the democratic process and preparing students for lives of engaged citizenship are among Haverford’s most important duties," says Haverford President Wendy Raymond. "We are proud that the College has long been a leader in college student electoral participation."

"The research is clear: Colleges and universities that make intentional efforts to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement have higher campus voter registration and voter turnout rates. This year we saw more colleges than ever before step up their efforts to ensure that their students were registered and ready to make their voices heard at the ballot box. These 'Most Engaged Campuses are setting the standard for nonpartisan civic engagement work for colleges and universities across the country." 

Professor of Political Science Zach Oberfield has led the voter registration charge among students for nearly a decade. Working closely with volunteers who reside in Haverford Township's 5-3 precinct, where Haverford's campus sits, Oberfield is a constant presence at Move-In Day and the Dining Center. Their efforts have ensured more than 900 campus residents are prepared to vote on Election Day in the College's Douglas B. Gardner '83 Integrated Athletic Center, which serves as 5-3's polling location. 

Inspired by a voting challenge that arose from Yale and Harvard's long-running rivalry, Holly Vincent '26 and classmates Michael Pyo and Abigail Trapp created the Tri-Co Voting Challenge with their counterparts at Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr colleges. The challenge urged students at all three campuses to sign a pledge to vote or, if they were ineligible to do so, remain civically engaged in their communities. Haverford maintained the top spot, with more than 700 Fords joining the challenge. 

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Campuses that join the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge complete a set of action items, with the support of ALL IN staff, to institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning and voter participation on their campus. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge currently engages 10.8 million students from more than 1,075 institutions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Campuses can join the ALL IN Challenge here. 

ABOUT ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge: 
ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. Through an intentionally designed program that provides structure, support, and recognition, ALL IN works to improve civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation on more than 1,075 campuses nationwide. ALL IN believes higher education should play a role in developing an active and informed citizenry by educating students, motivating them to engage in American democracy, and instilling the value of lifelong participation. ALL IN is an initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

ABOUT Civic Nation:
Civic Nation is a nonprofit ecosystem for high-impact organizing and education initiatives working to build a more inclusive and equitable America. Civic Nation shifts culture, systems, and policy by bringing together individuals, grassroots organizers, industry leaders, and influencers to tackle some of our nation’s most pressing social challenges. Civic Nation is home to seven national initiatives and campaigns: ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, Change Collective, It’s On Us, Save On Clean Energy, SAVE On Student Debt, We The Action, and When We All Vote.