Voting on Campus

This year, scores of college students will cast a vote for president for the first time. But for too many of these voters, the experience will be marked by confusion and frustration rather than celebration and civic pride.

Every election cycle brings new stories of disruption and delay at campus voting locations. In recent years, administrative challenges in implementing new voting laws, surges in same-day registration, unanticipated high voter turnout, and overextended resources and technical capacity have forced students in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas (among other states) to wait in hours-long lines to cast their ballots. footnote1_miNUsm13hDP31Nouran Salahieh and Sara Welch, “UCLA Students Face Waits of More than 2 Hours to Cast Ballots at Campus Vote Centers,” KTLA (Los Angeles), March 3, 2020, http://ktla.com/news/local-news/ucla-students-face-waits-of-more-than-2-hours-to-cast-ballots-at-campus-vote-centers; Ryan Stanton, “‘It’s a Mess.’ Behind the Long Election Lines at the University of Michigan,” MLive (Ann Arbor), November 10, 2022, http://www.mlive.com/politics/2022/11/its-a-mess-behind-the-long-election-lines-at-the-university-of-michigan.html; Chris Doyle, “Long Lines, Registration Problems Hold Up Students on Election Day,” Daily Pennsylvanian (University of Pennsylvania), November 9, 2016, http://www.thedp.com/article/2016/11/long-lines-hold-up-students-on-election-day; and Alexa Ura, “Texas Voting Lines Last Hours After Polls Close on Super Tuesday,” KUT News (Austin), March 3, 2020, http://www.kut.org/politics/2020–03–03/texas-voting-lines-last-hours-after-polls-close-on-super-tuesday. Stricter voter ID and registration laws in several states have further stymied student voting. footnote2_ijOpyjqGcOoP2League of Women Voters, “Challenges Facing Student Voters,” updated June 20, 2024, http://www.lwv.org/blog/challenges-facing-student-voters. Some jurisdictions grapple with other issues, such as college campuses being split into multiple districts, that exacerbate confusion among students about how and where to vote. footnote3_tlPhrnWgVv4r3Jyotsna Naidu, “Local Independent Redistricting Could Challenge Gerrymandered Campus,” Miscellany News (Vassar College), February 9, 2022, http://miscellanynews.org/2022/02/09/news/local-independent-redistricting-could-challenge-gerrymandered-campus.

Other issues stem from student voting patterns, which differ from those of the general population. Student voters arrive at polling places at different times and often in groups. They are less likely to have in-state driver’s licenses and frequently have temporary or changing addresses. Many students are also first-time voters navigating an unfamiliar process. Even when they have voted before, out-of-state students may find state-specific rules and procedures difficult to grasp. And this election cycle, safety and disruption concerns due to campus protests and voter intimidation may escalate challenges.

These concerns call for tailored and strategic resiliency planning. Effective election administration on campus requires nuanced understanding, adaptable strategies, and creative problem-solving to overcome unique barriers and ensure accessibility and efficiency. This consideration is not limited to students alone; other demographic groups and communities also face distinct obstacles that should be thoughtfully addressed.

This resource aims to address issues specific to college voters casting ballots in person in ways that one-size-fits-all practices cannot. Its recommendations are informed by conversations between Brennan Center staff and election officials who serve college communities in various states with different voting laws and diverse cultural, demographic, and political environments, as well as with college students themselves. The guidance below highlights how election officials and campus stakeholders can work together to assure that student voters can cast their ballots and make their voices heard. As students return to school ahead of the general election, adopting these measures will help officials prepare for 2024 and voting cycles to come.