The University of Michigan is enhancing student voting spaces with design thinking and insights from behavioral science to foster lifelong voters. The Creative Campus Voting Project (CCVP), in its third election cycle, collaborates with the Ann Arbor city clerk, U-M Museum of Art, and Duderstadt Center Gallery to create engaging voting hubs on campus.
This nonpartisan initiative, based at the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design and a part of the UMICH Votes coalition, is co-led by Stamps associate professors Stephanie Rowden and Hannah Smotrich. They integrate behavioral science insights and election law to craft a clear, enjoyable student voter experience.
U-M students’ registration and voting rates surpass national averages, with nearly 90% of eligible students registered in the last presidential election. In 2020 and 2022, the CCVP voting hubs registered over 9,300 students and collected more than 13,000 ballots.
From Oct. 21, the hubs at UMMA and Duderstadt Center Gallery will serve as registration and voting locations, offering absentee ballot services from Oct. 26. Designed to be welcoming and informative, these spaces feature clear information, interactive displays, and positive peer interactions.
Smotrich explains, “From the moment a student enters the voting space, we think about what information they need, and at which point, in that process.” Students experience a welcoming environment with clerks ready to assist, making the voting process accessible and enjoyable.
The initiative uses nonpartisan materials and conversational language to demystify the voting process, encouraging questions and understanding. Trained peer mentors and city clerk staff are available to guide students, easing concerns about the process.
To motivate early voting, the CCVP encourages students to plan ahead for Election Day. Their “Voter Style” quiz, backed by the Arts Initiative, offers personalized voter action plans using humor and behavior insights. This approach helps new voters engage with the process confidently.
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