The issues holding students back from voting

With the presidential election right around the corner, many organizations and public figures have stressed the importance of voting. Ads and commercials have shifted their attention to addressing a recurring pattern: poor voter turnout for young adults.

Last week the Bipartisan Policy Center hosted a virtual event covering some strategies to encourage civic engagement on college and university campuses. Speakers were invited to share how they are working to solve the issue. 

Nancy Thomas, the Director of the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education at Tufts University, has been analyzing student voting data for years. “The participation is lackluster. In 2014, only 19% of all college students voted. And when you narrow that down to the undergraduate age group, that number drops to 13%,” Thomas said. 

Despite these statistics, Thomas is hopeful for the future, saying “In 2018, we saw voting rates double, so the gap is definitely closing. It’s still under the national average voter turnout of 50%, but students are becoming increasingly involved with the election process.” 

When asked about the reasons why student voter turnout is relatively low, Thomas explained some of the barriers. “We need to have a national conversation about the quality of the voting experience nationwide. There’s a steep learning curve around the technicalities of voting. For out-of-state students, it can be difficult because many states won’t accept a driver’s license as a form of ID. Additionally, it can be difficult for an out-of-state student to prove residency.”

Thomas believes that colleges and universities have a responsibility to help students work through these challenges. According to Thomas, when school faculty are committed to helping students understand their role as voters, college voting rates increase. 

Emily Garcia President of BridgeUSA at Arizona State University emphasized the importance of students being able to articulate their values and voting for policies that resonate with them. 

“At BridgeUSA we’re committed to having bi-weekly discussions surrounding some of the most controversial political topics. By having these conversations where [students] are exposed to different ideas, they can articulate their own values, as well as be exposed to others’ values. This environment allows them to realize their voice in this democracy, and the best way to use that voice is to vote,” Garcia said