In light of the upcoming election in November, we are pleased to share that the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) has recognized Bates College for its nonpartisan democratic engagement efforts that fostered top levels of student voter engagement in the 2022 midterm elections. 

In the recently announced ALL IN awards, Bates was recognized as the top achiever in Maine and the NESCAC for both voter registration and voter turnout. Specifically, we received these accolades:

• 2022 Maine Campus Voting Challenge Highest Voting Rate: 4-year Institution
• 2022 Maine Campus Voting Challenge Highest Registration Rate: 4-year Institution
• 2022 NESCAC Votes Highest Voting Rate
• 2022 NESCAC Votes Highest Registration Rate

Bates also earned a Platinum Seal from ALL IN based on our 2022 campus voting rate from the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) report from Tufts University.

Democratic engagement at Bates is led by the Bates Votes team, supported by the Harward Center for Community Partnerships. Bates Votes is an award-winning, nonpartisan, student-led voting initiative designed to reach all eligible Bates students to make them aware of their right to vote and to support them in the process of exercising that right. The Bates Votes team fosters nonpartisan student learning and voting – whether that happens in local, state, or national elections, in students’ home states or in their new hometown of Lewiston, Maine. 

Currently, the 2024 Bates Votes team is “all in” for campus-wide participation in our democracy through voter registration and engagement. Led by two student co-coordinators, Ethan Chan ‘25 and Tammy Namangale ‘27, the team is fully mobilized for maximum student participation in this year’s election. Here’s what Ethan and Tammy had to say about the recent recognition bestowed on Bates Votes: “We are very proud of the work Bates Votes did in 2022, as well as the work the team continues to do this year. It is apparent that our Bates community has a strong culture of civic engagement, and we think the fact that these efforts are student-led is a big factor in our success. It is great to be recognized for that!”

Congratulations to Ethan, Tammy, and all the Bates Votes students for their extraordinary work, both past and present!

Click here for more information on Bates Votes and their 2024 election engagement efforts.