Baylor University Commits To 100% Student Voter Registration and Participation

Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., signs on to ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge’s Higher Education President’s Commitment

WACO, Texas (June 12, 2020) – Baylor University President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., has joined more than 160 college presidents and chancellors in committing to full student voter registration and participation in all elections through the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN). To support full student voter participation of all eligible students, ALL IN and its Higher Education Presidents Council has launched a call to action for higher education presidents and chancellors to fully engage students in electoral participation. A full list of signatories can be found on the ALL IN Challenge website.

“Our President is proud to sign the Higher Education Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation,” said Mito Diaz-Espinoza, Ph.D., associate director of civic learning initiatives in Baylor’s Academy for Leadership Development. “We are committed to working with campus stakeholders to increase electoral participation in 2020 and develop a voting culture at Baylor. As associate director of civic learning initiatives, I value providing opportunities to empower all eligible voters at Baylor and the greater Waco area to register and turn out to vote.”

While college student voter participation in elections increased from the 2014 midterm election to the recent 2018 midterm election, less than half of college students made their voices heard by casting their ballots. According to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, voter turnout at the more than 1,000 institutions participating in the study increased by 21 points from 19% to 40%.

“Today, young people are truly seeing how the decisions their elected officials make impact their everyday lives, and in this critical time, ensuring that they are able to make their voices heard safely is critical,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “We are excited to partner with higher education leaders across the country to change the culture at colleges and universities around engagement in our country’s political process. We are calling on all college presidents to make this commitment to their students, campuses and communities.”

By signing the pledge, Baylor University committed to ensuring all eligible students are able to register to vote and cast informed ballots in the 2020 general election and beyond. Further, the University committed to fostering a campus culture that supports nonpartisan student civic learning, political engagement and student voter participation.

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is a nonpartisan, national initiative recognizing and supporting campuses as they work to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement and full student voter participation. The Challenge encourages higher education institutions to help students form the habits of active and informed citizenship, and make democratic participation a core value on their campus.

More than 650 campuses, enrolling more than 7.5 million students, have joined the Challenge since its launch in summer 2016, including Baylor.

For more information about voting initiatives at Baylor, including ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, contact Dr. Diaz-Espinoza at Mito_Diaz-Espinoza@baylor.edu.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 18,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.