Penn State Voting Resources

Help your students get ready to vote!

A resource created by the General Education Faculty Scholars with support from the Office for General Education and guidance from PSU Votes and the Centre County Elections Office.

Election campaign flat vector illustration. Political system metaphor. Choosing president, parliament. Encouraging to vote. Act of democracy. Voting for new leader cartoon characters

HOW SUPPORTING STUDENT VOTING CONNECTS TO YOUR GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE

Social responsibility and ethical reasoning are amongst the learning objectives of the University’s general education curricula, included below for your reference.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICAL REASONING LEARNING OBJECTIVE IN THE PENN STATE GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM

“The ability to assess one’s own values within the social context of problems, recognize ethical issues in a variety of settings, describe how different perspectives might be applied to ethical dilemmas, and consider the ramifications of alternative actions. Individuals should acquire the self-knowledge and leadership skills needed to play a role in creating and maintaining healthy, civil, safe, and thriving communities.”

Decision between right or left, yes or no, Business decisions, e

Some Important Guidelines For Talking To Students About Voting

All voting-related course content must be non-partisan,

non-compulsory, and non-incentivized.

As you think about teaching during this election cycle, there are a few things to consider.



It is illegal

to “pay” for votes in any way, including extra credit or assignment points. Play it safe. Do NOT provide incentives for voting or even for registration. Registration and voting can be encouraged, but are optional.



It is imperative

that everything you communicate (verbally or non-verbally) is evidence-based and non-partisan.

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Remember...

voting forms and any information they may contain must not be collected by faculty.

Faculty should review Penn State Policies AC 64 and AD 92 for additional guidance.

Click here to download

Student Voting at Penn State

How can faculty support student engagement?

The good news is that student voting at Penn State is on the rise. Indeed, the 2020 voting rate at PSU rose 13% from 2016 and closely matched the national average! To build momentum towards higher participation in our elections, Penn State has joined the All In Campus Democracy Challenge, a nationwide effort to engage college students in voting, the Big 10 Voting Challenge, and the Pennsylvania Campus Voting Challenge, sponsored by the PA Department of State. PSU Votes is our university initiative to coordinate many efforts on campus.

Despite our progress, primaries, mid-term and odd-year elections are more of a challenge. Though Penn State campuses nearly doubled their 2014 voting rate in 2018, only 36% of students voted. Faculty can thus play a key role in reminding students that elections happen every year, twice a year!

Below, we share resources and ideas for supporting your students as they navigate the registration, education, and voting processes. Help your students vote successfully in this election—wherever they are located at Penn State.

Support Student Voting In Your Courses

Registering to vote isn’t easy for students. Will they register at home or locally? Is their address up to date? How do they request a mail-in ballot or find their local polling place? Also, rules can change, and students need up-to-date information that they can trust.

We can make a difference by providing specific information and support at three key times during the election season.

Until April 8: Register! Update! Confirm!

Encourage students to get their voting forms completed.

How to Vote: A Complete Guide by PSU Votes

Pennsylvania Voter Registration Application & Mail-in Ballot Request

View full application HERE

Canvas Voting Module for the 2024 Primary

Great news! This Canvas module is the most comprehensive and the easiest thing you can do to promote student voting! Just download it from the Canvas Commons into your course and let the students know it’s there. Offer it as an enrichment or extra credit activity! Click the link below to learn more and for instructions on how to import the module.

Learn About The 2024 Primary Election

Have 1 minute?

Consider posting the downloadable Register to Vote slide in Canvas and/or show the PSU Votes Why Vote? video, which is under two minutes.

Have 10 minutes?

Consider taking a few minutes of class time to:

- - Remind students they need to register, update addresses, and request mail-in ballots if voting by mail.
  - Show the PSU Votes Why Vote? video and display the Register to Vote slide in the classroom and post it in Canvas.
  - Give students 5 – 10 minutes to study quietly or (if they want) to complete any registration-related forms using the links on the posted or emailed slide.

Have 15 minutes?

Consider taking class time to:

- - Give students 5 – 10 minutes to study quietly or (if they want) to complete any registration-related forms using the links on the presentation.
  - Share the ‘How to Vote: A Complete Guide by PSU Votes’ video with students via email.

Have 1 minute?

Have the students review the module for offices up for election, candidate information, and tips on how to vote.

Learn About The 2024 Primary Election

Have 10 minutes?

Consider taking a few minutes of class time to:

Display and review the Learn about Candidates & Issues slide in class.

April 9-22: Educate!

Encourage students to research candidates, return mail-in ballots, or make a plan to vote on Election Day.

Election Day-April 23: Vote!

Give students time to vote.

Tips For The Classes

Avoid giving an in-class exam or having a large assignment due that day.
Consider flexible attendance or replacing class with an asynchronous assignment.
Consider putting Election Day (April 23) on your course calendar as an important date.
Post a “Vote!” reminder in Canvas or make a verbal announcement in class.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Faculty have an important role to play in helping students become informed, engaged citizens.

For University Park faculty, you may submit a request here to have a representative from PSU VOTES or the UPUA Voting Advocacy Roundtable to provide a voter registration presentation to your class, subject to availability.