As the 2024 elections approach, the University of Michigan is implementing a variety of measures to ensure all faculty, staff and students are well-prepared to exercise their right to vote.
“As a university we are dedicated to ensuring everyone has the resources and support they need to participate fully and confidently in the electoral process,” said Chris Kolb, vice president for government relations.
“Whether you’re a first-time voter or a seasoned participant in the electoral process, there are a number of efforts and activities across campus that are dedicated to making voting more accessible and will help students, faculty and staff navigate the voting process with confidence.”
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To ensure accurate and timely registration and voting information is available to the campus community, UMICH Votes — a nonpartisan campus coalition — is working collaboratively to make voting easier and accessible.
The coalition includes the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s Office, the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design’s Creative Campus Voting Project, the Duderstadt Center, the Ginsberg Center, the Office of the Vice President for Government Relations, the Office of the Provost and the U-M Museum of Art. Turn Up Turnout, a student organization on all three U-M campuses, also focuses on nonpartisan civic engagement.
“Our efforts are grounded in serving as the vetted, nonpartisan resource about voting for the U-M community,” said Catherine Carver, assistant director of UMICH Votes. “Turn Up Turnout facilitates registration tables on all three campuses to ensure voters can easily register to vote or update their registration information.
“Our website, govote.umich.edu, provides information about each step of the voting process, and members of our coalition facilitate educational workshops and information sessions to help voters understand the issues on the ballot, the importance of local and national elections, and how the voting process works.”
To further enhance civic participation, the university aligns its efforts with wider national initiatives, such as National Voter Registration Day. Taking place Sept. 17, the day is a nonpartisan civic holiday created to reduce the number of citizens who might be turned away at the polls due to registration issues.
In Michigan, voters now have the flexibility to register up to and on Election Day. This provision is beneficial for individuals who have recently moved, particularly students who tend to move to a new address each academic year, as their registration details need to be updated.
A satellite city clerk’s office will again open in UMMA on Sept. 24. The gallery space will transform into a Campus Voting Hub where students and the community can register to vote, pick up an absentee ballot and vote early starting Oct. 26.
The Campus Voting Hub, staffed by trained UMICH Votes Fellows, also offers peer-to-peer guidance for voting questions, including for students who need information about voting out-of-state.
A second Campus Voting Hub with a satellite city clerk’s office will open in the transformed Duderstadt Center Gallery on Oct. 26. Both sites will be open through Election Day, Nov. 5.
“We are fortunate to have such a strong and creative collaborative effort that offers resources vital for our campus community,” said Jenna Bednar, faculty director of UMICH Votes and Democratic Engagement.
“UMICH Votes efforts offer our community a trusted resource for registration, provides reliable, vetted nonpartisan voting information and, through the Campus Voting Hubs, a beautiful space to both learn about voting and to vote.”
To further empower the campus community, the Office of the Vice President for Government Relations and the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel shared a reminder of election season guidelines that clarify the legal responsibilities and rights of U-M faculty, staff and students regarding political activities.
The guidelines underscore the prohibition of using public resources, including university facilities, email accounts or other university assets, for campaigning or partisan political activities.
They also provide specific examples of permissible actions, such as personal political expression and participation in political events outside of work or class hours, ensuring everyone understands how to engage in the political process while staying within the bounds of Michigan law.
