The 2020 election cycle saw unprecedented voter registration and turnout among college students, according to a study conducted by the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE).  

Missouri State played a role in this by increasing student voter rates by 12.2% from the 2016 election. Voter participation at MSU reached 62.6% in 2020 compared to 51.3% in 2016.  Student registration and voting rates can be viewed in MSU’s specific 2020 NSLVE campus report.  

This contributed to the 2020 presidential election engaging the largest and most diverse group of college students in U.S. history.  

The ALL IN democracy challenge  

MSU received the 2021 Silver Seal from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for student voter participation efforts in the 2020 election.  

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is an initiative from Civic Nation, a non-partisan, non-profit organization.  

They challenge college students and higher education institutions to engage their campuses in elections by increasing voter registration and participation.  

On Nov. 8, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge hosted its third biennial awards ceremony to recognize select higher education institutions, educators and students for their extraordinary work in student voter engagement during the 2020 presidential election. 

More than 840 institutions (enrolling close to nine million students) participate in the ALL IN Challenge. 

Voter engagement at MSU 

The public affairs mission at MSU empowers students through ethical leadership, cultural competence and community engagement. Exercising your right to vote is a big part of these public affairs pillars.  

Paws to the Polls is a nonpartisan student initiative at MSU. Their focus is to increase civic engagement with a focus on voter participation and voter literacy.  

Along with the Office of Public Affairs Support, Paws to the Polls provides unbiased resources for students to make informed decisions in elections. They also educate students about elections and provide options for registering to vote.  

For more information about campus voter and civic engagement initiatives and opportunities, contact the Office of Public Affairs Support at 417-836-8832 or publicaffairs@missouristate.edu.