Elections and Democracy
NC Campus Compact seeks to improve civic life by actively engaging our members institutions in initiatives that help develop and promote practices and habits of democracy. This includes nonpartisan election engagement, census engagement, and civil discourse and dialogue.
In 2008, we began partnering with the Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP), a national, nonpartisan effort to help colleges and universities involve students in elections. Through our partnership with CEEP as well as the Puffin Foundation, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, and the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, through the years we have been able to disseminate nearly $100,00 in mini-grants to campuses throughout the state, host Election Engagement Fellows programs, organize the annual NC College Voter Summit since 2016, and share resources and information with our campus members throughout the state.
NC Collegiate Citizenship Project (NC-CCP)
In summer 2020, thanks to funding from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, NC Campus Compact launched the NC-CCP to promote election engagement and civil discourse and dialogue on member institutions throughout the state.
NC Census Fellows & the #MakeNCCount Video Contest
In spring 2020, NC Campus Compact developed and hosted the NC Census Fellows program. These students worked to mobilize their campuses and community to ensure a complete census count. Funding was provided by the NC Counts Coalition.
- Meet the Fellows
- Read Fellowship highlights
- See the #NCCensusFellow social media campaign. Twitter │ Instagram
We also partnered with the NC Counts Coalition to sponsor the #MakeNCCount Video Contest. These videos, targeting college students, provide information about the census in creative and fun ways. There were two categories for contest submissions: Informational and Inspirational. Each winner received a cash prize. The winners were:
- 1st place Informational category: Deja Mayfield, North Carolina A&T State University
- 2nd place Informational category: Love Cesar, NC A & T State University
- Inspirational category winner: Lauren Bagby, Winston-Salem State University
Learn more and view the videos
NC College Voter Summit
Every September, since 2016, NC Campus Compact hosts a convening of students, faculty, and staff who lead non-partisan, campus-wide voter engagement efforts. With the help of national and state partners, participants learn and share innovative strategies and practical information to support college voter registration, voter education, and electoral participation.
NC Campus Voting Coalition
Since 2012, we have helped facilitate conversations among a group of
organizations focused on getting college students engaged in
voting. NCCVC meets virtually each monthly to share resources and individual projects. The Coalition also organizes the annual NC College Voter Summit. In addition to NC Campus Compact, the 2020 Coalition members include:
Advance Carolina
ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge
Blueprint NC
Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP)
Campus Vote Project
Common Cause NC
Democracy NC
Equality NC
Faculty Network for Student Voting Rights
NC Asian Americans Together
NC PIRG
North Carolina Black Alliance
Students Learn Students Vote Coalition
Southern Vision Alliance
You Can Vote
Young Invincibles
Here is a link to an organizational summary page.
Members of NCCVC during the 1st annual retreat (January 2020 at Durham Tech)
Election Engagement Resources
Campuses seeking to expand or deepen their election engagement efforts can learn more from these resources and organizations:
AASC&U American Democracy Project
All In Campus Democracy Challenge
CIRCLE (The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement)
Institute for Democracy and Higher Education
