News

Dalton State Recognized for Increase in Voter Participation

10/28/19

The student voting rate on campus at Dalton State more than doubled in last year’s election, increasing to 47 percent in 2018 from a rate of 18 percent in 2014.

Dalton State is actively promoting voter registration, education and get out the vote efforts through the work of a student group called S.A.V.E (Students Advocating for Volunteer Efforts). This team most recently hosted the Dalton State Voter Registration Campus Takeover collecting more than 90 voter registration forms.

“Without the dedication and determination of student leaders heading up this type of work our efforts and progress would not have been as successful as it was,” said Heather Williams, assistant director for Leadership and Civic Engagement. “We are always working as a team to determine new strategies and set intentional goals to strengthen our impact on the student population. Our goal will always be to prepare students to become educated and involved citizens.”

The report is part of the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, or NSLVE, conducted by the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE) at Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life. Nationwide, the study shows voting rates at participating college campuses doubled on average compared to the 2014 midterm. In 2018, the Average Institutional Voting Rate (AIVR) among campuses in the study was 39.1 percent, nearly 20 percentage points higher than 2014’s average turnout rate of 19.7 percent. Turnout increases were widespread, with virtually all campuses seeing an increase over 2014.

The full campus report can be viewed here.