OLYMPIA — Secretary of State Steve Hobbs today launched the 2022 Washington Campus Voting Challenge for colleges and universities statewide.
The Washington Campus Voting Challenge, part of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, is a nonpartisan competition among higher-education institutions to increase voter participation and encourage colleges and universities to help students form the habits of active and informed citizenship.
Colleges and universities taking part in the Challenge will be eligible for awards based on highest voter turnout, most improved voter turnout, and highest voter registration rate achieved during the November 2022 General Election season.
“Young people hold the key to our nation’s future — it is critical to ensure they have a voice in shaping our democracy,” said Secretary Hobbs. “With the Washington Campus Voting Challenge, we are committed to making democratic engagement a way of life for thousands of higher-education students statewide. I encourage colleges and universities across Washington to go ALL IN to inspire the next generation of voters.”
Higher-education administrators, faculty, and staff can learn more and sign up here. There is no cost to participate. By signing up for the Challenge, all accredited colleges and universities statewide can improve, measure, and celebrate efforts to foster nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement, and informed voter participation. Schools that sign up for the Washington Campus Voting Challenge will become participants in the national ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
The Office of the Secretary of State and the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge will host two 30-minute virtual kickoffs — April 6 and April 12 — for colleges and universities to learn more about the Washington Campus Voting Challenge. These sessions will provide a general overview, answer questions, and share resources available to participating institutions.
The Washington Campus Voting Challenge alleviates barriers to student voting on campus and encourages participation from students of all backgrounds and perspectives,” said Ryan Drysdale, Associate Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Office of the Secretary of State to empower more students in Washington to become civically engaged.”
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. In 2020, students at campuses fully participating in the ALL IN program turned out to vote at a rate of more than 68%, an increase of over 2 percentage points compared to their nonparticipating peers.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees a number of areas within state government, including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office also manages the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, oversees the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees, and administers the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.