Pacific Named to Best Colleges for Student Voting Honor Roll
Washington Monthly has named Pacific University among its 2020 Best Colleges for Student Voting Honor Roll.
“At the Monthly, we believe that colleges have a special obligation to help young Americans become active political citizens,” the independent, nonprofit news organization explained.
The Student Voting Honor Roll recognizes American colleges that develop action plans to bolster student voter registration, and it ranks the schools based on their student voter registration rate.
Pacific ranked 122 in the country and is the only Oregon university on the 2020 list.
Civic engagement is a cornerstone in Pacific’s mission to inspire students who think, care, create, and pursue justice in a global society.
Stephanie Stokamer, director of Pacific’s Tom McCall Center for Civic Engagement, highlighted the university’s All-In Democracy Challenge Action Plan as part of the impetus for Pacific’s ranking. The plan details not only the university’s overarching commitment to civic engagement through curriculum requirements and cocurricular activities, it also includes a special events to increase student voter registration in 2020 through #PacificVotes.
Though the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many of the original plans, ongoing efforts include:
- The Pacific Votes Fall 2020 Voter Pledge | Answer eight simple questions, and you will receive follow-up communications with all the details you need to learn to register, cast a ballot, and make an informed voting decision.
- Student-Produced Civic Engagement Videos | The series, which debuted Sept. 16, continues on YouTube through late October.
- Voter Information | Find deadlines, how-to info and more details at pacificu.edu/vote2020.
- Special Events | Celebrate Constitution Day with the Undergraduate Student Senate on Sept. 16; join a National Voter Registration Day Couch Party on Sept. 22; and join Professor Jim Moore for a Post-Election Forum on Nov. 5.