Student voter engagement at the forefront of UNI
UNI students are civically engaged, with a higher voter turnout than the average college campus in the United States. This is in part a reflection of the Panthers Vote initiative, founded in 2018. This nonpartisan effort is led by the Department of Political Science, the UNI chapter of the American Democracy Project, Northern Iowa Student Government and UNI Athletics.
The cornerstone of Panthers Vote is educating students on a variety of topics. From navigating voter registration to understanding the roles of Congress and their state governments, Panthers Vote helps build informed citizens.
“Our student voter ambassadors have been working hard since the spring to get students registered and help them understand the process of voting,” said Justin Holmes, associate professor of political science and a leader of the Panthers Vote initiative. “They have visited nearly 50 classes to give presentations about voting, tabled all over campus and put on several events. We are looking forward to the Panther community getting to the polls this November and continuing our tradition of high turnout and engagement."
In both Presidential and midterm elections, UNI’s voter turnout rate is eight points higher than the norm. In 2016, there was a 67.5% voter turnout, and in 2020, there was a 73.1% voter turnout. Washington Monthly named UNI to a list of Best Colleges for Student Voting in 2022. Panthers Vote is aiming for an even higher turnout during the 2024 election.
