NC College Voter Summit


Launched in 2016, the NC College Voter Summit is the longest running state Summit focused on campus election engagement.  Students, faculty, and staff, who lead non-partisan, campus-wide voter engagement efforts, learn and share innovative strategies and practical information to support college voter registration, voter education, and electoral participation.

NC Campus Compact organized the Summit in 2016 and 2017.  Since 2018 the event has been co-organized and co-sponsored by members of the NC Campus Voting Coalition.

6th Annual Summit #VoteSum21
September 17, 2021 [Hybrid]

All content was virtual but campuses were encouraged to form a “Campus Huddle” with a Student Captain and Fac/Staff Coordinator. See the Full Agenda.

Guest speakers:

  • Yael Bromberg, Constitutional Rights Attorney specializing in Voting Rights and Democracy Law
  • Kate Fellman, Founder & Executive Director, You Can Vote

Thanks to our partners at SLSV for facilitating a pre-conference workshop “Op-Ed Workshop: How to Write for Student Voting Rights” on the Tuesday before the Summit.

The event included multiple opportunities for campuses and individuals to win prizes.  Congrats to the institutional winners, listed below! Prize funds are to be used to support ongoing student voter engagement.

Most Registrations – per sector ($100 cash prize)
  • UNC System: UNC-Chapel Hill
  • Independent/Private: Wingate University
  • Community College: Forsyth Tech
Campus Spirit Awards ($200 cash prize)
  • Forsyth Tech
  • Western Carolina University
Instagram Creativity “People’s Choice” Prize ($100 gift card)
  • UNC-Asheville

2020 NC College Voter Summit #VoteSum20
September 11 and 12, 2020 [Virtual]

Guest speakers:

  • Karen Brinson Bell,  Executive Director of  the  North  Carolina  Board  of  Elections
  • Dr. Nancy Thomas, Director of the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education
    See highlights here.

2019 NC College Voter Summit #VoteSum19
September 20, 2019 hosted at Elon University

Guest speakers:

  • Allison Riggs, Senior Attorney, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Voting Rights Senior Attorney
  • Jessica Holmes, Chair, Wake County Board of Commissioners
  • Stacey Carless, Executive Director, NC Counts Coalition

See highlights here.

2018 NC College Voter Summit #VoteSum18
September 15, 2018 hosted at UNC Greensboro

Guest speakers:

  • Aylett Colston, Voting Rights Activist
  • Dr. John Dinan, Professor, Wake Forest
    University (45 minutes)

View the program 

2017 NC College Voter Summit #VoteSum17
September 29, 2017 hosted at Elon University

Guest speakers:

  • Dr. Nancy Thomas, Director, Institute for Democracy and Higher Education
  • Dr. David McLennan, Meredith College
  • Professor Ted Shaw, UNC Center for Civil Rights, UNC School of Law
  • Dr. Rick Morse, UNC School of Government
  • Dr. Mark Sanders, UNC Charlotte
  • Amy Chiou, #WTFwevote

See highlights here.

Inaugural NC College Voter Summit #VoteSum16
September 16, 2016 hosted at Elon University

Guest speakers:

  • Marcus Bass, Campaign Director, Democracy NC
  • Mike Burns, Director, Campus Vote Project
  • Dan DeRosa, Director, NCPIRG
  • Jen Jones, Communications Director, Democracy NC
  • Rachel Clay, Southeast Regional Coordinator, Campus Vote Project

See highlights here.

Questions? Contact Leslie Garvin.