Inside Stories

MCC Recognized for Student Voting Excellence

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) recognized Middlesex Community College for its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered high levels of student voter engagement in the 2022 midterm elections.

Middlesex received the 2022 Boston Votes Highest Voting Rate: Community College; 2022 Boston Votes Highest Registration Rate: Community College; and the Bronze Seal from ALL IN, reflecting its commitment to ensuring that nonpartisan democratic engagement is a defining feature of campus life.

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement. MCC was recognized alongside more than 500 campuses using data from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) out of Tufts University, which found that colleges and universities had the second-highest voter turnout among students in a midterm election since NSLVE began measuring this data.

“Middlesex is proud to receive this recognition from ALL IN for motivating our students to engage in the voting process,” said Phil Sisson, MCC’s President. “In striving to support our diverse population of students beyond the classroom, tremendous effort has been made collegewide to hold events and opportunities that prepare our students to be active members of their communities. This critical work helps students understand the importance of voting and the influence and difference they can have on addressing issues that directly affect them.”

“The ALL In recognition designates that we have a strong plan of action for promoting civic learning, political engagement, and student voter participation on our campuses,” said Milissa Duncan, MCC’s Coordinator of Civic and Service Learning. “Part of MCC’s mission is to graduate civically engaged students and to emphasize to young people the importance of voting. In support of the whole student, we want them to be actively engaged in their communities and responsible citizens.”

MCC received:
• 2022 Boston Votes Highest Voting Rate: Community College
• 2022 Boston Votes Highest Registration Rate: Community College
• Bronze Seal based on 2022 campus voting rate

“The ALL IN Awards were created to celebrate nonpartisan democratic engagement and the outstanding campus voter registration and turnout rates achieved by our ALL IN campuses. Ahead of the 2024 elections, ALL IN campuses are ready to build on the momentum from 2022 to ensure their communities are ready to make an even bigger impact this fall,” said Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “ALL IN is proud to celebrate and honor top-performing campuses, like Middlesex, who demonstrate that nonpartisan student voter engagement is possible and effective.”

More than 1,060 institutions enrolling more than 10 million students participate in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, which supports colleges and universities in achieving excellence in nonpartisan student voter engagement. Campuses can join ALL IN here.

To recognize National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, September 17, Middlesex will host tabling events from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both campuses. Led by Duncan, representatives will help community members register to vote, discuss the benefits of voting, and answer questions. There will also be copies of the Constitution on hand in celebration of Constitution Day.

“MCC students and their families are directly impacted by many governmental decisions and political policies pertaining to education, student loan debt, healthcare, childcare, and economics and employment,” Duncan said. “Voting gives them influence and a political voice to influence those decisions. Today’s students are the future of our democracy, and we want to foster an ethic of life-long civic responsibility and empower students to make a difference in their local, state and national governments.”

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