Share this Story
VWU Designated as Voter Friendly Campus for 2025-26
University's plan recognized for providing information and support for student voters
University News | March 25, 2025
Virginia Wesleyan University has once again been named a Voter Friendly Campus, one of 272 campuses in 39 states and the District of Columbia, by Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The initiative recognizes institutions that have planned and implemented practices that encourage their students to register and vote. The mission of the 2025 Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster colleges and universities’ efforts to help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process – every year, not just during years featuring federal elections.
A commitment to citizenship and civic engagement has been a critical element in the mission of Virginia Wesleyan since its founding, engaging students in initiatives such as Marlins Vote.
Continuing that honored tradition, VWU has earned the Voter Friendly Campus designation for the fifth time. This year, the university’s plan detailed how VWU intended to register, educate, and turn out student voters in 2024; how voter engagement efforts were facilitated on campus; and the final analysis of these efforts.
"Achieving Voter Friendly Campus status for the fifth time highlights our commitment to making democracy accessible to all,” noted VWU's Director of Civic Engagement and Service Learning Bethany Smeeton. “We are honored to continue supporting our students’ civic engagement, ensuring they have the resources to participate fully in shaping their communities."
Activities at VWU included:
- An event, "& Polls," where members of the campus community applied their knowledge of civic engagement-related topics by answering questions and spinning a prize wheel.
- Voter registration tables during the fall semester to encourage and assist students in registering to vote in Virginia or in their home state.
- Social media posts promoting information about voter registration, potential barriers to voting, candidate and ballot information, and creating a plan for voting on election day.
- A presentation by guest speaker Kate Slayton, executive director of Virginia21— an organization committed to empowering young voters to be civically engaged, and how young people can (and already do) have a significant impact on elections.
- Participation in “Vote Early Day” encouraging voters to cast their ballots early.
“Events like these are important because they allow students to learn about how our political system works in a fun and friendly environment, free of bias,” said Smeeton. “We are committed to providing nonpartisan information to students, faculty and staff.”
Learn more about Wesleyan Engaged: Civic Engagement and Service Learning and Voter Friendly Campus.