Ballot Boosters

In 2014, only 84 Swarthmore students voted in person on Election Day. For this year’s midterm elections, thanks to the efforts of Swarthmore’s Get Out the Vote committee, that number more than tripled.

The College offered rides to the polls, sponsored a panel discussion with esteemed political scientists Patrick Egan ’92 and Frances Lee moderated by Professor Rick Valelly ’75, and launched a successful “voting buddies” social media campaign, featuring community members such as President Valerie Smith and Phineas.

The committee also helped encourage participation in last May’s primaries, registered new students on move-in day and at orientation in August, and developed a one-stop shop of voting resources online at vote.swarthmore.edu. 

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