Higher education institutions, voter registration, voter education, and voter participation: a study of college students in the 2016 presidential and 2018 mid-term congressional elections

During both the United States 2016 Presidential Election and the 2018 Mid-term Congressional Election, voter registration and voter participation rates showed significant improvements over previous trends in voters ages 18-29. This study aimed to understand the various environmental factors, campus features, and educational interventions used by colleges and universities to determine if any best practices influenced these improvements. Furthermore, this study sought to determine if there was any correlation between these environmental factors, campus features, and educational interventions and the varying levels of improvement in the corresponding college or university voter registration rates and/or voter participation rates. This mixed-mode interpretive research study examined secondary data in the form of a comprehensive analysis of existing documents, campus action plans, and voter registration and participation data available through institutional participation in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge program for the purposes of sharing best practices and creating a theoretical framework. Findings from this study present that some environmental factors, campus features, and educational interventions used contributed to increased voter engagement and/or participation rates during the 2016 Presidential Election and/or the 2018 Mid-term Election. Furthermore, their collective impact, crafted together in an intentionally created Campus Action Plan, made a difference across the 81 colleges and universities included in this study. This study presents a theoretical framework for a more intentional approach to Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement work on college and university campuses moving forward