EIU Media Relations

Eastern Illinois University students recognized for voting excellence

ALL IN Awards Day honored EIU for excellence in nonpartisan student voter engagement and campus turnout in the 2022 Midterm Elections

(Charleston, IL) – The Washington, DC-based ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge recognized Eastern Illinois University for its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered high levels of student voter engagement in the 2022 midterm elections.

“As part of EIU’s mission to develop responsible citizens and leaders, EIU has long been an advocate for empowering and uplifting our students’ voices,” said Crystal Brown, Associate Director of Leadership and Engagement at EIU. “We are excited to be recognized for our efforts and proud to continue this important work on behalf of our students and in support of the democratic American ideal.”

EIU earned Silver Seals from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge based on the University’s 2022 campus voting rate. Voting rates for colleges and universities across all 50 states were tracked by the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) report, coordinated by Tufts University in Massachusetts. The awards reflect EIU’s commitment to ensuring that nonpartisan democratic engagement is a defining feature of campus life.

“The ALL IN Awards were created to celebrate nonpartisan democratic engagement and the outstanding campus voter registration and turnout rates achieved by our ALL IN campuses. Ahead of the 2024 elections, ALL IN campuses are ready to build on the momentum from 2022 to ensure their communities are ready to make an even bigger impact this fall,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “ALL IN is proud to celebrate and honor top-performing campuses like Eastern Illinois University that demonstrate that nonpartisan student voter engagement is possible and effective.”

More specifically, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. EIU was recognized alongside more than 500 campuses using data from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) out of Tufts University, which found that colleges and universities had the second-highest voter turnout among students in a midterm election since NSLVE began measuring this data. 

More than 1,060 institutions enrolling more than 10 million students participate in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, which supports colleges and universities in achieving excellence in nonpartisan student voter engagement. As their website explains, “the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement, and provides a one-stop shop for campuses and students to navigate the voting process. This nonpartisan tool was developed by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge in partnership with the creative agency Big Spaceship to help college students navigate the voting process. ALL IN to Vote covers all 50 states and Washington, DC and is powered by Vote.org and BallotReady’s CivicEngine.”

EIU also was one of only 262 colleges and universities designated a Voter Friendly campus by NASPA earlier this year. 

EIU prepares students to accomplish their life goals through a combination of quality academics, personal relationships, and both on-campus and online learning opportunities. For more information about Eastern Illinois University, including its broad array of academic and career readiness programs, or any of EIU’s other community-based services and opportunities, visit eiu.edu or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.