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Saginaw Valley State University

March 12, 2021

SVSU Designated a “Voter Friendly Campus”

Voter Registration DriveSaginaw Valley State University has been designated a “Voter Friendly Campus” in a program led by national nonpartisan organizations Fair Elections Center’s Campus Voter Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. SVSU is one of more than 200 campuses in 37 states and the District of Columbia to be granted this designation, which is valid through December 2022. 

To earn the designation, SVSU planned and implemented practices that encouraged their students to register and vote in 2020 elections and will continue to encourage participation in future elections. 

“At SVSU, we understand the importance of participating in the democratic process,” said Riley Hupfer, director of SVSU’s Center for Community Engagement. “We feel it is incumbent on us to offer nonpartisan programming that supports our students’ deep interest in exercising their democratic rights and being a part of the voting process. They represent the civic leaders of tomorrow, and we are proud of their commitment to our communities.” 

SVSU’s voter-friendly activities include:

  • The Cardinals Vote program, established in 2018, a nonpartisan program centered around connecting SVSU students with opportunities to engage in the democratic system through voter registration, candidate and ballot information, and ultimately turning out to the polls to ensure student voices are heard in the electoral process.
  • Programming to support SVSU students who are interested in civic and democratic engagement, including mock polling, voter registration efforts and election day programs.
  • Participation in the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement, which provides key data and insight into our student voting numbers. 
  • “Voting Processes in the 2020 Election” program created in partnership with SVSU’s Political Science Department.

The mission of the Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster nonpartisan efforts that help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process. SVSU was evaluated based on a campus plan designed to register, educate and turn out student voters in 2020; how SVSU facilitated voter engagement efforts on campus; and a final analysis of all related efforts.

For more information on SVSU’s Cardinals Vote program, visit https://www.svsu.edu/communityengagement/cardinals-vote/Cardinals-Vote.