Simpson Named One of Best Colleges for Student Voting

While political pundits wonder about the impact of young people on the mid-term elections, Simpson students will be doing something else – voting.

Washington Monthly’s Best College Guide has named Simpson one of America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting. It is the only college named in Iowa.

The honor was included in Washington Monthly’s annual College Guide and Rankings, which rates colleges and universities on their contributions to social mobility, research and public service. This is the first-of-its-kind list of the schools doing the most to turn students into citizens.

It’s no accident that Simpson made the list. Students on campus vote higher than the national average for their age group, and at least two organizations on campus are devoted to encouraging students to register and vote.

This year, for example, students petitioned the Warren County auditor to allow students to vote before the election in the Kent Campus Center. The one-day satellite booth on Oct. 23 attracted 122 student voters.

“It is a great honor for Simpson College to be recognized on Washington Monthly’s list of best colleges for student voting,” said Seth Andersen, director of the nonpartisan John C. Culver Public Policy Center at Simpson. “The credit for this recognition goes to the outstanding team of undergraduate Culver Fellows who have been working for years to improve voter turnout and civic engagement on our campus.

“Thanks to their efforts, Simpson students vote at a higher rate than their peers nationwide. They are also given invaluable support by a range of nonpartisan national organizations such as the Andrew Goodman Foundation’s Vote Everywhere program, the Campus Election Engagement Project, HeadCount, #VoteTogether, the Students Learn Students Vote coalition, and the National Campaign for Political and Civic Engagement at the Harvard Institute of Politics.”

Washington Monthly said Simpson’s inclusion on the list demonstrates the commitment made to promote civic engagement among the student body, encouraging students to vote and actively participate in community decisions.

“Since voting habits tend to crystallize in young adulthood—vote in one election, and you’re far more likely to do so again—colleges and universities have an unparalleled opportunity to create voters not just for the next election, but for life,” the publication said. “The colleges that invest in student voting aren’t just helping their Washington Monthly rankings—they’re helping the country.”