About the challenge

Secretary Jena Griswold is happy to announce The Colorado Campus Voting Challenge. The Challenge is a nonpartisan competition between higher education institutions in Colorado with a commitment to increasing student voter participation and engagement on campuses across the state.

There will be three award categories for both 4-year institutions and 2-year institutions, awarded based on student voter participation in even-year elections using data from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE). The Colorado Department of State will announce awards for highest campus voter turnout, most improved campus voter turnout, and highest student voter registration rate. NSLVE reports are released bi-annually, and awards are presented in odd-numbered years. To be considered for an award, campuses must submit an action plan to ALL IN. The next opportunity to submit an action plan is November 8, 2022. Campuses will receive their NSLVE Data for the 2022 Election in the fall of 2023. The next awards ceremony for the Colorado Campus Voting Challenge will be in late 2023.

The Colorado Department of State is facilitating the voting challenge in collaboration with the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a national nonpartisan nonprofit that works in partnership with numerous local and national nonpartisan organizations in the 400 member-plus Student Learn Students Vote coalition. Awards will be based on campuses' NSLVE reports generated by the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University in Mass. Participation in the Colorado Challenge will automatically include participation in the national ALL IN Challenge and awards competition.

Institutions that opt into the Challenge will be provided guidance and tools to create an action plan for increasing student engagement on their campus. There is no sign-up cost to participate. Secretary Griswold is actively urging all Colorado institutions of higher education to stand up, sign up and step forward with the ALL IN Challenge.

If you have questions you can email Ryan Drysdale, assistant director of the ALL IN Challenge (ryan@civicnation.org).

2020 Colorado Campus Voting Challenge Award Winners

Presented at a Virtual Ceremony on November 9, 2021

• Highest Voter Registration Award, 2-year Institution: Arapahoe Community College
• Highest Voter Registration Award, 4-year Institution: Colorado College
• Most Improved Voter Turnout Award, 2-year Institution: Northeastern Junior College
• Most Improved Voter Turnout Award, 4-year Institution: University of Denver
• Highest Voter Turnout Award, 2-year Institution: Arapahoe Community College
• Highest Voter Turnout Award, 4-year Institution: Colorado College
• Best Campus Democratic Engagement Action Plan Award, 2-year Institution: Arapahoe Community College
• Best Campus Democratic Engagement Action Plan Award, 4-year Institution: Colorado State University