100 AASCU and NASPA Member Institutions Partner with TurboVote

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, in celebration of National Voter Registration Day, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education announced that 100 member institutions have adopted TurboVote, an innovative “one-stop-shop” voter engagement platform, thanks to a partnership between two higher education associations and the nonpartisan nonprofit technology organization, Democracy Works.

A product of Democracy Works, TurboVote makes it easy for students to register to vote, request an absentee ballot, and sign up for text and email reminders with important election information, dates and deadlines.

With TurboVote, AASCU and NASPA member institutions are taking steps to institutionalize voter engagement by integrating the technology into established processes such as freshman orientation and class registration. By embedding the platform into critical student interactions, they ensure that every student will have the materials and information he or she needs to vote in every election.

“The University of Central Oklahoma’s partnership with TurboVote is an amazing opportunity to enhance the civic engagement of our students, faculty and staff,” said Janelle Grellner, Ph.D., professor of psychology and director of Central’s American Democracy Project. “Changing registration rates, voter knowledge and voting behavior is something we can start here on our campus as we strive to graduate competent, confident and civically-minded citizens. TurboVote will supercharge our efforts.”

When students sign up with TurboVote, the system keeps track of all their elections—local, state and national. If students wish to register, update their addresses or request absentee ballots, TurboVote sends them the necessary forms and information with pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelopes, and then sends reminders to ensure that users never miss another election.

“NASPA members have a unique opportunity to promote democratic engagement across the many channels of the co-curriculum,” says NASPA President Kevin Kruger. “We are excited to add TurboVote to the tools used to educate students for citizenship both inside and outside the classroom.”

TurboVote’s platform helps colleges and universities meet federal mandates that require institutions provide students with voter registration information. With help from AASCU and NASPA, TurboVote hopes to support institutions in meeting these mandates and set a new standard for voter engagement in higher education.

George Mehaffy, AASCU’s vice president for academic leadership and change, notes, “This partnership sends an important message to institutional leaders that democratic engagement should be a part of every student’s college education.”

Institutions in the NASPA/AASCU TurboVote cohort (click here to view a map of all TurboVote partner institutions):

Alcorn State University Alfred State University Alfred University Alvernia University Arizona State University Barry University Bloomsburg University Boston College Boston University Brown University Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo California State University, Los Angeles Chapman University Chatham University Clarkson University Clayton State University Cleveland State University Community College of Allegheny County Creighton University Davis and Elkins College Depaul University Drexel University Elmhurst College Ferris State University Florida A&M University Florida International University Florida State College at Jacksonville Florida State University Friends University Frostburg State Georgetown University Georgia Gwinnett College Governor’s State University Harper College Howard University Illinois State University Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis Ivy Tech Community College Keene State College Kennesaw State University Lane Community College Louisiana State University Marlboro College Millersville University Missouri State University Montclair State University Mount Ida College New York University North Central College Northeastern Illinois University

Northeastern State University Northeastern University Northwest Missouri State University Occidental College Palm Beach Atlantic University Peru State College Ramapo College of New Jersey Ringling College of Art and Design Salisbury University Salt Lake Community College Sam Houston State University San Francisco State University School of the Art Institute of Chicago Seton Hall University Sewanee: The University of the South Southern New Hampshire University Stanford University SUNY Cortland SUNY Geneseo Texas A&M University-Central Texas The College at Brockport (SUNY) The Ohio State University Trinity University University of California, Irvine University of Central Oklahoma University of Delaware University of Florida University of Idaho University of Missouri Kansas City University of Nebraska – Lincoln University of Nebraska at Kearney University of Nebraska at Omaha University of Northern Iowa University of Saint Joseph University of Texas at Arlington University of Texas at Austin University of Texas at El Paso University of Texas at San Antonio University of Texas at the Permian Basin University of Texas Health Sciences Center San Antonio University of Texas Northeast Health Center University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Warren Wilson College Weber State University Wellesley College Wesleyan University West Chester University of Pennsylvania Western Illinois University Wheaton College Wheelock College

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AASCU is a Washington-based higher education association of more than 400 public colleges, universities and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to underserved student populations and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development.

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 14,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries, and 8 U.S. territories.

TurboVote is a project of Democracy Works, a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Brooklyn, N.Y., that is passionate about building the democracy of the future. TurboVote is a service that makes voting easy. When students sign up, TurboVote keeps track of all their elections—local, state and national. If students wish to register, update their addresses or request absentee ballots, TurboVote sends them all the forms and information they need with pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelopes. For every election, TurboVote sends text message and email reminders to all users with important election information, dates and deadlines, to ensure that they never miss another election.