UMich Campus Voting Hubs Triple Voter Engagement in 2024 Election

The University of Michigan’s Campus Voting Hubs recorded a significant increase in voter engagement in 2024 compared to the 2022 midterms. With over 14,932 voters participating, the hubs at U-M Museum of Art and Duderstadt Gallery demonstrated a substantial rise in campus voting activities. In 2022, only 4,608 absentee ballots were submitted, with no on-site voting options available.

The hubs processed 6,373 in-person voter registrations, marking a 63% increase from two years earlier. Remarkably, these hubs contributed to 88% of Ann Arbor’s in-person voter registrations. On Election Day, more than 1,000 registrations occurred at the UMMA hub, with wait times no longer than 15 minutes. Ann Arbor City Clerk Jackie Beaudry praised the efficiency, attributing it to the UMICH Votes coalition’s efforts in enhancing voter participation.

“The Campus Voting Hubs were a success all around, from voter registration numbers, early voting turnout and of course line management on Election Day,” Beaudry stated. “The lessons learned from 2022 and the changes we made could not have been implemented to this level without the commitment from the entire UMICH Votes team. The city is very grateful for this amazing partnership.”

This successful partnership is a result of collaboration between the City Clerk’s Office and UMICH Votes, a nonpartisan initiative aimed at promoting accessible voting. The project, initiated by professors Hannah Smotrich and Stephanie Rowden, started with the installation of a satellite clerk’s office in 2020. A second site was added in 2022 to further support the voting process.

This year marked the first presidential election with two campus hubs and an extended early voting period of nine days. “Our design goal has remained the same since 2020,” Rowden explained. “We work to make the voting process clear, calm, welcoming and even delightful. Over and over we heard from students how much they appreciated the spaces and the support.”

The Campus Voting Hubs’ success reflects the coalition’s consistent efforts every election cycle. A robust communications strategy reached 940,000 people, while the UMICH Votes website saw 62,142 views from August to Nov. 5. Faculty Director Jenna Bednar emphasized the coalition’s impact on voter engagement and expressed enthusiasm for future elections.