Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship

Following the strenuous and busy 2024 election season, Central Michigan University has been named a Voter-Friendly Campus by Campus Vote Project and NASPA for the 2024-2025 academic year. This is the fifth time CMU has been given this distinction and is among 272 campuses in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

This comes on the heels of extensive efforts put forward by Central Civics, a program within the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center, the Central Votes Registered Student Organization (RSO) and the on-campus Central Votes Coalition.

Harrison Krafchak, a sophomore from Dearborn Heights, MI studying political science, reflects on what this recognition means for students:

"My name is Harry Krafchak and I am the student coordinator of Central Civics in the Volunteer Center. I am sharing on behalf of my program, as well as the Central Votes RSO, to thank the student body, staff and faculty for their work to ensure that voting and engagement on our campus in 2024 was as extensive as possible.

Amidst high levels of polarization, I am proud to be able to announce that our student body stood up and used their voices in 2024 to a level that warranted national recognition. Our efforts were large-scale and effective, and all voter-engagement organizations were extremely proud of the resulting turnout from those movements and programs.

As we move on from this past election and venture deeper into the effects of a new presidential administration, as well as a newly redistributed United States Congress, it is endlessly important to be reminded of one important fact of democracy: your engagement and responsibility as a citizen of the United States is not fulfilled merely when your ballot is submitted.

As members of a representative democracy, we are constantly responsible for upholding the legitimacy of our government. We do so by remaining engaged with news cycles and current events. We hold elected officials accountable by writing and calling their offices regarding matters important to us, both at the federal, state, and local level.

The legitimacy of democracy lies in the hands of those consenting to be governed, and we maintain our label of a Voter-Friendly Campus by remembering, or learning, what it means to be an engaged citizen. Speaking personally, I am filled with pride after witnessing what our campus is capable of accomplishing in the realm of civic engagement, and I could not be more excited to continue down this path alongside this student body and university as a whole."

The mission of the 2025 Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster colleges and universities to help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process - every year, not just during years featuring federal elections. CMU was evaluated based on a written plan for how campus planned to register, educate, and turnout student voters in 2024.

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NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. Our work provides high-quality professional development, advocacy, and research for 15,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries, and 8 U.S. territories.

Fair Elections Center is a non-partisan organization dedicated to safeguarding the future of our democracy through innovative efforts focused on voting rights and civic engagement. We use advocacy, litigation, organizing, education, and technology to protect and expand the right to vote, understanding the particular impact on disenfranchised, underrepresented, and marginalized communities. Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project works with universities, community colleges, faculty, students and election officials to reduce barriers to student voting and helps campuses institutionalize reforms that empower students with the information they need to register and vote.