Kennesaw State Named among America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting

Staff Report From Metro Atlanta CEO

Thursday, September 5th, 2019

Kennesaw State University has once again been recognized by Washington Monthly as one of America’s best colleges for student voting.

Universities that demonstrated a high level of commitment in encouraging students to vote were selected  for Washington Monthly’s annual honor roll list. Kennesaw State earned a perfect score and was one of only three Georgia institutions to make the top 80 list for 2019. This is KSU’s third consecutive year being named.

According to Washington Monthly, youth voter turnout rates have been growing in recent years. In 2016, about 46 percent of 18-29-year-olds cast ballots, up from a 20 percent turnout for the same population in 2014. This annual recognition acknowledges the colleges and universities that have created opportunities in boosting democratic participation and encouraging civic engagement.

To be considered, institutions were ranked on a five-point scale, which measured to what degree schools take part in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE), as well as schools’ participation in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, which helps schools craft plans to bolster civic engagement.

Kennesaw State’s annual Constitution Week features a variety of activities focused on voter registration and voting rights. Scheduled for Sept. 16-24, the Kennesaw and Marietta campuses host a series of election-related and educational activities, coinciding with National Voter Registration Day.

For the past three years, KSU has also been designated a “Voter Friendly Campus,” an initiative by national nonpartisan organizations Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education to bolster efforts that help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process.