What it takes to be a Voter Friendly Campus
VT Engage’s approach to civic engagement earned the university the special designation.
Billy McKeon (second from left) with a group of Democracy Fellows at a student civic engagement summit hosted by the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition. Photo courtesy of Billy McKeon.
Virginia Tech again achieved the Voter Friendly Campus designation. The recognition, for creating and successfully implementing a strategic plan to increase student voter engagement, was first received in 2021 and now extends until December 2026.
“The designation is a critical reflection of our university's commitment to civic participation,” said Nistha Gautam, who promotes student voting as a Democracy Fellow for VT Engage: The Center for Leadership and Service Learning. “It signals to students that their voices are influential and important and that they are not alone in learning how to use them.”
Each year, Billy McKeon, civic engagement coordinator for VT Engage, submits the university’s Voter Friendly Campus report as an addendum to VT Engage’s annual action plan.
A highlight of last year’s report was the All In To Vote student portal, which allows students to easily check their voter registrations, learn how to register, and find non-partisan election resources. Through the portal and VT Engage’s outreach work, 899 Hokies registered to vote between Oct. 1, 2024, and the November election.
While the designation primarily focuses on trackable civic engagement initiatives, McKeon said much of VT Engage’s work aims to foster a cultural shift in the way students engage with politics.
“The Voter Friendly Campus plan not only focuses on teaching students how to be civically engaged, but how to change the culture on campus to be one where students can be more open talking about social political issues with each other,” said McKeon.
Hokies Vote Caucus
The student-run, nonpartisan Hokies Vote Caucus leads VT Engage’s voter education and engagement work. The caucus provides resources, including the All In to Vote portal, presentations, and pop-up programming to teach students about the basics of voting, voter registration, and voting as a college student — which gives students the choice of voting in their home state or the state in which they attend college.
“On college campuses, especially in Virginia, it’s easy to run into a lot of barriers to voting,” said Hannah Banks, director of the caucus. “Even though we have same-day registration and you can still vote with a provisional ballot if you miss the regular deadline, those votes might not be counted until after Election Day and could even be rejected. That’s why it’s so important for us to be on campus, not just to help students access voting resources, but to remind everyone to register by the deadline so they can vote a regular ballot without the risk or hassle.”
Important voting dates are:
- Sept. 19: Early voting starts
- Oct. 24: Last day to register to vote
- Oct. 24: Last day to request mail-in ballot (must be received by this date)
- Nov. 1: Last day to cast early vote
- Nov. 4: Election Day — mail-in ballots must be postmarked on or before this day and received by Nov. 7
If you have questions about voting, email hokiesvote@vt.edu.
Democracy Fellows tabling to promote student voting. Photo Courtesy of Billy McKeon.
Tackling news fatigue and stigmas
Much of VT Engage’s civic engagement work addresses the trend of students avoiding talking about politics on campus.
Additionally, though VT Engage’s civic engagement work is nonpartisan, McKeon said that some can see the word "voting" on a table and think otherwise.
“We’re working to combat that stereotype and negative feelings about politics,” he said. “We want to say, ‘Actually, this is a chill space you can enter into and do your civic duty to check your voter registration status.’”
To make political engagement more accessible for students, VT Engage is launching a series of tent talks that invite students to react to nonpartisan civic engagement questions and get a T-shirt. Hokies Vote Caucus also hosts Access to Activism, bringing off-campus organizations, such as the Sierra Club and UpVote Virginia, to the Blacksburg campus.
Upcoming events include:
- Sept. 16: Join VT Engage on the Drillfield for free pizza in honor of National Voter Registration Day.
- Sept. 22 and Oct. 13: Join Democracy Fellows and the VT therapy dogs outside of Newman Library and register to vote.
- Oct. 7: Grab Insomnia Cookies outside of Newman Library and participate in a Tent Talk in honor of National Voter Education Week.
- Oct. 27: Look for Democracy Fellows riding around the Blacksburg campus on a golf cart to promote voter registration.
Developing civic leadership identities
VT Engage also helps students develop civic leadership identities by teaching them how local government functions and sharing ways to have meaningful discussions with those who hold opposing views.
“We encourage curiosity and exploring ideas without the fear of needing to be right about everything or to be an expert to talk about certain topics,” said McKeon. “There's a difference between speaking on a topic, asking questions, and trying to see where someone is coming from versus trying to argue with someone and present yourself as all knowing.”
Students of all years and majors are welcome to attend VT Engage’s Civic Leadership Academy, a yearlong leadership cohort that includes a retreat.
In the academy, “students practice their dialogue skills and learn about sociopolitics in Blacksburg,” said McKeon. “Students can have safe discussions with people who disagree with them, and we encourage them keep in touch with the local news in a way that isn't burdensome.”
How to get involved
Students can contact the VT Engage team to learn more about upcoming civic engagement opportunities. “If you’re looking to get involved, you can!" said Banks, and pointed to outreach events as an easy way to connect.
Democracy Fellows with the Hokie Bird. Photo courtesy of Billy McKeon.
Banks said being a part of the VT Engage team has inspired her personally and equipped her with valuable professional skills.
“Joining VT Engage really opened my perspective about how many passionate people are out there,” she said. “There’s always a place for you to get involved civically, whether that’s through student organizations, clubs, Fraternity and Sorority Life, or offices like VT Engage. I think that’s what makes Blacksburg and Virginia Tech your home, as in ‘This is Home.’ It’s in the culture.”
Gautam added, “In a campus environment where students see themselves not only as scholars or future professionals, but as engaged citizens with responsibilities, they are able to contribute to a more equitable world.”
To learn more, visit the VT Engage website.
