Daniels, Purdue work toward full student voter participation

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — President Mitch Daniels announced Friday (July 10) that he and more than 160 other college presidents and chancellors are committing to full student voter registration and participation through the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. In addition, Purdue has endorsed the efforts of the Indiana Civic Health Alliance to promote civic engagement and increase voter turnout in Indiana.

“Our students are displaying their deep interest in building a better society, and there is no more direct way to do so and no better place to start than to participate in choosing those who will be in positions to deliver positive change,” Daniels said. “We have made various attempts to encourage and enable voting, but never with as much success as we’d like. This year, we intend to do better.”

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. The full list of signatories can be found here. As part of the ALL IN challenge, Daniels also has committed Purdue’s participation in the Big Ten Voting Challenge to encourage student voting.

By signing the ALL IN pledge, Purdue has committed to ensuring all eligible students are able to register to vote and cast informed ballots in the 2020 general election and beyond. Further, they commit to fostering campus cultures that support nonpartisan student civic learning, political engagement and student voter participation.

The Indiana Civic Health Alliance seeks to increase voter registration and participation in Indiana, where, according to the Civic Health Index, there are more than 1.7 million eligible but unregistered voters.

More information will be shared with the Purdue community over the coming months via the PurdueVotes Coalition, a campuswide committee that works to increase student voting rates and encourages active and engaged citizenship.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 6 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu.

Media contact: Tim Doty, doty2@purdue.edu 

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