Even on a very politically-engaged campus like GW’s, with highly motivated voters, many students still found it complicated and difficult to make their voices heard at the ballot box in their home states.

This past election cycle, Common Cause has partnered with The George Washington University, hosting the organization’s Democracy Fellowship with the intent to get more students involved in the election process. Audrey Banks and I have been working with Common Cause since September, researching and canvassing students in order to determine how we could increase voter turnout on campus. We believe voting is crucial to maintaining our democracy and fighting for what we believe in. Alongside GW Votes, we have helped hundreds of students with their various voting needs and make pledges to vote. In addition, we had the amazing opportunity to walk up to center court and speak to a large crowd at opening night for both the GW men’s and women’s basketball teams on Election Hero’s Day to encourage them to get out and vote as well as fill out cards for election poll workers.

On Election Day, we surveyed students in order to get feedback on the overall voting process this year and how they felt. Out of the 47 responses to the prompt “What motivated you to vote this Election Day?” eight responded with protecting rights which includes concerns about civil rights, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. Six said civic duty, showing that a significant number felt a sense of responsibility or duty to vote while another submitted patriotism. In regards to the presidential candidates, five mentioned strong opposition to Trump as a motivator while four mentioned the desire to have a female president. In addition, first-time voting was also a common theme, with five respondents excited about participating in their first election.

One of the positive signs was that many students had a plan to vote. Mail-in and Absentee Ballots were the majority of responses, with 33 out of 48, saying they used this method. This highlights a trend toward voting by mail, likely due to convenience or necessity for those living out of state. 

The question “What would make voting easier for you in future elections?” produced varied perspectives from respondents, giving both positive feedback and areas for potential improvement. 10 respondents stated that voting was easy for them, with comments like “It was pretty easy,” “Nothing, it was super easy,” and “Voting absentee in CA is really easy.” Along with that, ease of absentee/mail-in voting was frequently mentioned, especially in states like California and Rhode Island where the process seems streamlined and well-communicated. However, there were also some difficulties as well. Seven respondents noted difficulties with mail-in ballots, such as delays in receiving absentee ballots, confusing processes for obtaining or mailing the ballots, issues with local mail services, and problems with ballot tracking. On top of that, four reported issues with poor communication from local election offices, making it difficult to resolve absentee ballot problems. Three respondents also mentioned logistical challenges, such as needing to travel home to vote or lacking clear instructions on where out-of-state students could drop off mail-in ballots. Despite the efforts of both GW Votes and Common Cause, four respondents indicated they would benefit from clearer information about the ballot (e.g., arguments for/against propositions) and how to vote (e.g., clear instructions on mailing). 

There were ideas about reforming the voting process itself. Five respondents suggested eliminating or reforming the Electoral College, viewing it as a barrier to fair representation. Two more advocated for ranked choice voting, a system they believe would offer fairer outcomes. In terms of barriers, two mentioned the need for more uniform voting laws across states, which could reduce confusion and disparities. Another two called for the removal of voter ID requirements, viewing them as unnecessary obstacles. Streamlining the Mail-in and Absentee Voting system was a common theme, with 10 respondents supporting this.

Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, students averaged a 8.65 on how they felt after casting their vote. In response to a prompt about the ease of their experience, 88% of the respondents stated they found everything they needed. From the data, we can tell that GW students were extremely involved in this year’s cycle, voting from states all across the US and very prepared to send their absentee ballots. While the U.S. election system may seem to have done well to accommodate a strong majority of students, it would be naive to ignore the many other challenges that some still had to overcome.

Although the data will not be available for a few years, GW is on track to break its record in 2020 of the percentage of its student body voting. Common Cause is proud to help maintain GW’s reputation as one of the most politically active schools in the nation and spread the Common Cause message even further this election cycle. Stepping onto the Smith Center basketball court at the home-opener in front of hundreds of students, Audrey and I were proud to represent everything that Common Cause stands for and share our journey with the rest of the student body. It was an amazing culmination of hard work, negotiations with the Department of Athletics who invited us to speak, and a collaboration with GW Votes who helped facilitate the whole process. We both would not have dreamed this would be possible in the beginning of our fellowship. We are proud of all our voter events with GW Votes and are excited for what the future holds.