ALLIANCE, Ohio — The University of Mount Union has been named as one of more than 200 campuses in 37 states and the District of Columbia designated as a “Voter Friendly Campus.” The initiative, led by national nonpartisan organizations Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project (CVP) and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, held participating institutions accountable for planning and implementing practices that encourage their students to register and vote in 2020 elections and in the coming years.

The mission of the Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster efforts that help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process. Mount Union was evaluated based on a campus plan about how it would register, educate, and turnout student voters in 2020, how it facilitated voter engagement efforts on our campus, and a final analysis of its efforts — all in the face of the upheaval caused by a global pandemic. The designation is valid through December 2022. 

As part of the effort to continue to be a voter friendly campus, Mount Union has hosted several debate watch parties and events for its students, led voter registration drives, created educational videos and promotional materials and established Civic Corners that were both on campus and made available for purchase for other institutions and the surrounding communities.

"Our students have worked hard to engage their peers in the democratic process,” said Dr. Lori Kumler, associate professor of political science at Mount Union. “They are the living embodiments of Mount Union’s mission to build responsible citizenship!"  

“The Regula Center is proud of the work of our partner organizations, students, faculty and staff that have made achieving this designation possible,” said Abby Schroeder, director of the Regula Center at Mount Union. “Their support has allowed our campus to continuously promote civic engagement and voter participation for all students. We look forward to continuing this work as we prepare students to be responsible citizens.”

Learn more | UMU Votes