Students Learn Students Vote

Students Learn Students Vote
Name	Students Learn Students Vote
Founded	2016
Type	Nonpartisan coalition
Focus	Civic engagement, Voter turnout, Higher education
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Key people	Clarissa Unger (Co-founder & Director)
Website	https://slsvcoalition.org

Students Learn Students Vote. It is a national, nonpartisan coalition dedicated to increasing student voter participation in United States elections. The initiative focuses on embedding civic learning and democratic engagement into the culture of colleges and universities across the United States. Launched in 2016, the coalition provides a framework, resources, and a network to support campus administrators, faculty, and student leaders in their efforts to institutionalize voter engagement.

Overview

The coalition operates on the principle that voting is a learned behavior and that higher education institutions have a critical role to play in developing active, informed citizens. Its work is centered around the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) data from Tufts University's Institute for Democracy & Higher Education. Key partners and supporters have included Campus Compact, the Andrew Goodman Foundation, and the Knight Foundation. The initiative's strategy emphasizes collaboration between diverse campus stakeholders, including student government associations, university presidents, and registrar offices, to create sustainable programs that outlast individual election cycles.

History

The coalition was formally established in 2016 by a group of civic engagement organizations seeking to address consistently lower voter turnout among young adults, particularly on college campuses. Its creation was influenced by research from Tufts University and advocacy work by groups like the Fair Elections Center's Campus Vote Project. Following the 2016 United States presidential election, the coalition gained significant momentum, expanding its network to hundreds of campuses. Major growth occurred leading into the 2018 United States elections and the 2020 United States presidential election, with support from philanthropic organizations like the Knight Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation.

Program Structure

The core offering is the **SLSV Coalition Playbook**, a comprehensive guide that outlines six key action areas: coordinating a team, using NSLVE data, making a plan, educating students, registering voters, and talking about voting. The coalition facilitates the **SLSV Campus Challenge**, where institutions commit to implementing these practices. It also hosts the annual **National Student Voting Summit** and provides direct support through a network of **SLSV State Coordinators**. Resources are tailored for different campus roles, with specific toolkits for faculty senates, athletic departments, and fraternities and sororities.

Impact and Effectiveness

According to data from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, campuses actively engaged with the coalition's framework have seen significant increases in student voter turnout. In the 2020 United States presidential election, the average student voting rate at NSLVE-participating schools reached 66%, a historic high. Research from Tufts University's Institute for Democracy & Higher Education has highlighted the effectiveness of the coalition's institutional approach compared to episodic mobilization efforts. The growth of the network, from dozens to over 650 campuses by 2024, demonstrates its widespread adoption within American higher education.

Implementation and Partnerships

Implementation occurs through a decentralized network where individual campuses adapt the framework to their local context. Key national partners that help drive implementation include Campus Compact, NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. The coalition also works closely with secretaries of state and local county clerks to streamline voter registration and election official training on campuses. Partnerships with organizations like the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge and the Voter Friendly Campus program create overlapping recognition and support systems for participating institutions.

Challenges and Criticisms

Primary challenges include navigating complex and varying state election laws that affect college student voting, such as residency requirements and voter ID laws. Some critics argue that an institutional focus may bureaucratize what should be organic, student-led movements, potentially diluting partisan mobilization efforts. Ensuring equitable engagement across diverse campus populations, including community colleges and minority-serving institutions like Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), remains an ongoing priority. The coalition must also continuously adapt to new barriers, such as legislative efforts in states like Texas and Florida that some argue restrict campus voting access.

Category:Voter turnout organizations Category:Student organizations in the United States Category:Organizations based in Washington, D.C. Category:Organizations established in 2016