Pennsylvania Campus Voting Challenge

About the Challenge

The Pennsylvania Campus Voting Challenge is a nonpartisan support and recognition program for higher education institutions in Pennsylvania with a commitment to increasing student voter participation and engagement on campuses across the Commonwealth.

There will be three award categories for both 4-year institutions and 2-year institutions, awarded based on student voter participation in the November 2024 election using data from National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement. The Department of State will announce awards for highest campus voter turnout, most improved campus voter turnout, and highest student voter registration rate.

The Pennsylvania Department of State is facilitating this voting challenge in collaboration with the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a national nonpartisan nonprofit that provides support, structure, and recognition to help colleges and universities to institutionalize nonpartisan democratic engagement and increase student voting. Awards will be based on campuses' National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) reports generated by the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University in Mass. Participation in the Pennsylvania Challenge will automatically include participation in ALL IN, a national support and recognition program.

Institutions that opt into the Challenge will be provided guidance and tools to create an action plan for increasing student engagement on their campus. There is no sign-up cost to participate.

If you have questions, you can email ALL IN.

Actions to prepare for upcoming state, local, and primary elections and the 2026 general election:

1. Join the Pennsylvania Campus Voting Challenge if your institution isn’t already participating. See if your campus is participiating.
2. Develop a campus nonpartisan civic engagement action plan using these action planning resources.
3. Submit your action plan to ALL IN.
   1. ALL IN has three action plan submission opportunities during each two-year election cycle. The 2026 action plan submission opportunities are:
      1. December 15, 2025
      2. May 31, 2026
      3. October 1, 2026
4. Authorize the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) housed at the CIRCLE at Tufts University to receive campus voting reports every two years. Check to see if your institution has authorized NSLVE.
5. Encourage your campus president or chancellor to join more than 750 senior campus leaders by signing ALL IN’s Higher Education Presidents' Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation.

2025 Student Voting Honor Roll Recipients

The Student Voting Honor Roll is an annual recognition program for college students participating in the ALL IN Campus Challenge. Each campus can nominate one student to be honored.

Amani Green
Allegheny College

Zia Lyle
Carnegie Mellon University

Nayelisse Roman Cintron
Cedar Crest College

Andrew Muth
Indiana University of Pennsylvania 

Elizabeth Kolb
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Matthew Leach
Mercyhurst University

Chris DeLeon
Northampton Community College

Margaret Bachman
Susquehanna University

Madelyn Hindman
The Pennsylvania State University

Alyssa Antonian
University of Pennsylvania

John Sinclair III
University of Scranton

Emily Chatburn
West Chester University of Pennsylvania

George Hebda
Widener University

2024 Most Engaged Campuses for College Students Voting

ALL IN’s Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting recognizes colleges and universities making intentional efforts to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement and college student voting. 

Previous Award Winners: