Wayne State University was recently named a Top 15 Voter Friendly Campus out of 262 institutions nationally by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, Student Affairs in Higher Education – the only university in Michigan on the list.

“Wayne State is so proud of our students’ civic engagement and their embodiment of the university’s mission of being global citizens,” said David Strauss, Wayne State’s dean of students. “I get such a thrill in the role students play in our democratic process, and this honor is just another representation of how special Warriors are to our local community and beyond.”

The university boasts more than 90% voter registration and saw a 73.5% voter turnout in the 2020 election. This high engagement rate is widely attributed to the Student Senate, which led the charge by establishing a polling precinct on campus, making Election Day a class holiday and creating access to unbiased educational information surrounding items on the ballot.

“I meet with 15 other public universities in Michigan monthly and am always so proud to see Wayne State as a leader in so many ways when it comes to making the campus a voter-friendly place,” said Student Senate President Hayden Johnson. “I think this accolade speaks to the shared commitment between students and staff to educate the student population about the importance of being civically educated and involved society. I’m so proud to be part of that; without this collaboration throughout the university, we wouldn’t be successful.”

“We give the space, support and time to our students and faculty because we value civic engagement,” said Strauss.

While the Student Senate works to encourage student voting participation, it is also focused on educating peers on key issues to make unbiased educational materials available to any student seeking more information on ballot issues or candidates.

“We find a lot of students are registered to vote so we are focused on preparing those students to be voters,” said Strauss.

“Anyone planning to vote in the upcoming elections needs to spend time asking questions about topics and the sources they’re getting information from on those topics. The Warrior Vote Campaign, which we work on with the Dean of Students Office, is an important resource available to all students,” said Johnson.

For more information on how to get involved with the Warrior Vote Campaign, voter registration or to learn more about key ballot issues and candidates for the upcoming November election, please contact vote@wayne.edu.