ALLEGANY COLLEGE OF MARYLAND HONORED AS 2021 MARYLAND VOTING CHALLENGE WINNER:
ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Honors Colleges and Universities That Increased
Student Voter Engagement During the 2020 Elections
CUMBERLAND, Md. (Nov. 8, 2021) – Today, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge hosted its third biennial awards ceremony to recognize select higher education institutions,
educators, and students for their extraordinary work in student voter engagement during
the 2020 presidential election.
The 2020 presidential election engaged the largest and most diverse group of college
students in U.S. history. For the first time this year, ALL IN recognized winners of their State Campus Voting Challenges, competitions between higher education institutions in a particular state to increase
nonpartisan student voter participation and engagement. Departments of State, Secretaries
of State, and nonprofit partners co-facilitate the voting challenges in collaboration
with the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge at Civic Nation. There are currently 19
states participating in the ALL IN State Voting Challenges, encompassing more than
426 institutions enrolling 4.3 million students.
ALL IN has awarded Allegany College of Maryland with the 2021 Best Action Plan – Community
College Award as a part of the Maryland Campus Voting Challenge. Additionally, ACM received ALL IN’s Silver Campus seal for the Presidential 2020
Election, indicating a 60-69% voting rate and “excellence in student voter engagement.”
Allegany College of Maryland is one of 18 Maryland campuses – 12 four-year and six
two-year institutions – participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge at
Civic Nation.
The 2020 election cycle saw unprecedented voter registration and turnout among college
students according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, a research
study of the Institute for Democracy in Higher Education at the Jonathan M. Tisch
College of Civic Life at Tufts University. NSLVE reported that 66 percent of college
students voted in the 2020 elections, a 14 point increase from 2016.
ACM’s Changes from 2016 to 2020
“The rise in voter participation and engagement for college students in last year’s
presidential election was record-setting and will undoubtedly be tied to the efforts
of the dedicated students, faculty, administrators, and partner organizations that
are part of the ALL IN Challenge network,” said Jen Domagal-Goldman, executive director
of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “Partners in our nonpartisan state voting
challenges worked collaboratively and diligently to ensure that participating colleges
and universities had the best information and tools with which to ensure that college
students - many of whom are first-time voters - had the information and access necessary
to register and cast informed ballots.”
About the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is a national, nonpartisan initiative of Civic Nation, a 501(c)(3) organization.
ALL IN strives for a more inclusive democracy—one in which all voices are heard. We
believe that higher education plays a role in graduating students into voters and
in closing electoral participation gaps that persist by race and age. Through an intentionally
designed program—which provides structure, support, and recognition—ALL IN strengthens
college and university efforts to improve civic learning, political engagement, and
voter participation. Ensuring that students are registered to vote and participate
in all elections is a key component of our work.
Learn more and see a full list of winning campuses.
