Conclusion
Minnesota is a currently a national leader when it comes to student voter participation. This is largely because of outside factors, namely election laws and the culture of civic engagement in Minnesota. If Minnesota is to retain that leadership, higher education institutions will need to be more intentional about civic learning and democratic engagement.
- Support Campus-Wide Efforts to Register Students
Minnesota’s same-day registration law is often cited as a reason that higher education institutions do not conduct voter registration drives. However, the data shows that when students register to vote, they vote in higher numbers.
- Focus on Addressing the Racial Voting Gap
Higher education institutions can do more to support students of color and American Indian students in the voting process. Through more direct outreach to these communities and supporting civic education with student organizations that represent these student communities, campuses can take important steps to address that participation gap.
Higher Education institutions play a critical role as the gardeners of our democracy. It is their job to cultivate democratic engagement in young people and foster political conversations that lead to the type of democracy that we want to have in society. If institutions shy away from this role, it will have a devastating impact on our society and institutions as public trust erodes. More active engagement is the only way that higher education institutions can do more to protect the tree of democracy.