Clemson awarded Gold Seal from ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge

November 12, 2019

Across the country, colleges and universities have partnered together and with non-profit groups to focus on the issue of student voter engagement and democratic engagement.

The result? It’s working!

Research on 2018 midterm voter participation shows that nationwide, the voting rates at participating college campuses doubled on average compared to the previous 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. This research is from 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.

Clemson student voter rates for the 2018 midterms were slightly above the national average, with:

• 80.0% of our students registered to vote, and
• 51.3% of the students registered to vote who did so,
• leading to a campus total voting rate of 41.0%.

The reports below show additional numbers on Clemson student voter participation. The Clemson Votes group looks forward to rolling up our collective sleeves and for more promising results in the future!

Links:

• NSLVE 2018 and 2014 Midterm Report for Clemson University
• NSLVE 2016 and 2012 Election Report for Clemson University