Oberlin Designated a Voter-Friendly Campus by NASPA and Campus Vote Project

Last week, Oberlin College & Conservatory, was named a Voter Friendly Campus, one of 272 campuses in 39 states and the District of Columbia by Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The initiative recognizes institutions that have planned and implemented practices that encourage their students to register and vote.

The mission of the 2025 Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster colleges and universities’ efforts to help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process – every year, not just during years featuring federal elections. Oberlin was evaluated based on a written plan for how we planned to register, educate, and turnout student voters in 2024, how we facilitated voter engagement efforts on our campus, and a final analysis of our efforts.

As part of our effort to be designated a Voter Friendly Campus, Oberlin, through OC Votes and with support from the Lorain County League of Women Voters registered nearly 1,200 Oberlin students to vote in Ohio. In the November Election, over 82% of Oberlin Ohio voters turned out to vote in-person, early, and by mail.  This was the highest turnout in any election since 2016. 

Oberlin has made intensive efforts to inform students of their civic duty and prepare them to be engaged participants in our democracy. We are eager to continue refining our tactics, expanding our efforts, and engaging students through 2025 and beyond.

The institutions designated Voter Friendly Campuses represent a wide range of two-year, four-year, public, private, rural, and urban campuses, collectively serving over four million students. Notably, the list of designated institutions includes 13 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as 47 Community Colleges.