SUNY New Paltz Recognized for “Most Engaged Student Voting”

Following the 2024 presidential election, the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, an organization whose aim is to increase civic engagement on college campuses, recognized SUNY New Paltz, along with 471 other colleges, for having the “most engaged college student voting.”

This recognition comes in part from a nonpartisan democratic engagement action plan written by New Paltz’s Student Voter and Civic Engagement Committee. The main goal, as written in the plan, includes “strengthening partnerships between the college, student body and local organizations to create a dynamic campaign aimed at voter education, registration and overall civic engagement.”

Sociology professor and committee member Brian Obach is looking forward to continuing the success of New Paltz’s voter engagement into the next election in 2026. 

“I am proud of New Paltz’s voter mobilization campaign and the recognition we received from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge is testament to our success,” he said. “New Paltz has always been a highly engaged and politically mobilized campus. We are still awaiting voter turnout numbers, but I think we lived up to that reputation this year.”

SUNY New Paltz joined ALL IN in 2017 and received a gold seal during the 2020 presidential election, despite shutdowns due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. A gold seal is given to campuses who have a 70-79% voter turnout for presidential elections. New Paltz also received a silver seal for the 2022 midterm election, boasting a 30-39% voting rate. 

ALL IN was established in 2016 to sharpen focus on nonpartisan voter registration and democratic engagement among college students. “The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge’s mission is to foster civic culture and institutionalize democratic engagement activities and programs at colleges and universities, making them a defining feature of campus life,” its mission statement reads.

While seals have not yet been awarded for this election as specific numbers are still being calculated, New Paltz’s action plan aimed for a platinum seal this year by getting 90% of eligible voters registered and to achieve a voter turnout percentage of over 80%.

“We will need to carry on this effort in 2026. Voter participation across the country drops significantly in off-presidential election years, but those elections are just as important,” Obach said. “Congress makes the legislation. The president just signs bills into law and oversees enforcement. So we have to make sure that student voters understand that who we elect in 2026 is crucial.”

As Obach mentioned, the democratic engagement plan does not simply stop now that the election is over. The plan outlines strategies through the end of 2024 and into the new year. 

The plan mentions a number of different events to come in 2025 like a Dinner and Discourse event around the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. It also mentions disseminating information regarding voter registration if students have moved out of dorms they were previously registered to vote in.