(PDF) (DOC) (JPG)September 25, 2019

College-student voting doubled nationwide, according to study

 MAHWAH, N.J. – Ramapo College of New Jersey reported that student voting on its campus was up in last year’s election, increasing to 45 percent in 2018 from a rate of 15.6 percent percent in 2014. The change represents an increase of 29.4 percent.

“This impressive increase in student voters at Ramapo reflects a core element of our mission:  student engagement and community involvement,” said Christopher Romano, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. “I believe that Ramapo students benefit from the close relationships with faculty and staff at the smallest public college in New Jersey that reinforces the value that one individual can make. That value translates into action as students are more engaged in the difference that their vote can make and the importance of engaging on issues that not only immediately affect them, but future generations as well.”

Karen Booth, director of the Civic and Community Engagement Center (CCEC), said, “The CCEC’s ongoing partnership with the Andrew Goodman Foundation intensifies our resolve to motivate students to claim their power through voting and other forms of civic participation.”

This report is part of 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. The study 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.

 

The report is based on the voting records of more than 10 million students at more than 1,000 colleges and universities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

 

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About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The comprehensive college is situated among the beautiful Ramapo Mountains, is within commuting distance to New York City, was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler, and boasts the best on-campus housing in New Jersey per Niche.com. Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Business Administration, Contemporary Instructional Design, Computer Science, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

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