Several universities in the California State University system were recently recognized for their efforts to develop an active and informed citizenry by educating students and motivating them to engage in American democracy.
Last November, the
ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge named eight CSUs to its list of the “
Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting” for 2024: Fresno, Long Beach, Pomona, Northridge, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San José and San Marcos. ALL IN is a national awards program that recognizes colleges and universities that demonstrate excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement.
Schools that join the ALL IN Challenge complete a set of action items, with the support of ALL IN staff, to institutionalize nonpartisan democratic engagement at their institution. They also participate in the
National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) to measure student voting rates.
And, in December, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber announced the results of the
2024 Ballot Bowl, a friendly competition where California higher education institutions compete to register the most students to vote and to showcase civic engagement efforts. Thanks to Ballot Bowl activities, CSUs helped more than 18,600 students register in 2024.
While UC Santa Barbara was declared the Overall Champion—the campus that is the most well-rounded among three categories—of the 2024 Ballot Bowl, CSUs were standouts in each of the three categories. Cal State Long Beach was named the CSU with the highest number of students registered to vote, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo was named the CSU with the highest percentage of the student body registered to vote, and Cal State Fullerton was named the CSU with the best civic and voter empowerment action plan.
"This year, more than 234 California colleges and universities competed in the 2024 Ballot Bowl competition. I am proud of each higher education system and their efforts to register students to vote,” Weber said in a press release. “We received a record-breaking number of action plans this year, further solidifying each campus’s dedication to civic engagement and democratic participation.”
Each CSU has created a Civic and Voter Empowerment Plan to increase student voter engagement—as required by the Student and Civic Empowerment Act—and designated a coordinator to implement the plan, with support from the CSU Chancellor’s Office.
In addition to helping students register to vote, CSUs
conducted outreach efforts to increase student voter engagement in October and November ahead of the 2024 General Election. Campuses hosted voter registration tables and information sessions on voting rights and processes, launched social media campaigns and websites, and designed and distributed election outreach materials, among other efforts.
Each of the CSU’s 23 universities hosted voting locations ranging from ballot drop boxes to polling locations or vote centers, offering students and community members an easy way to make their voices heard.