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Sixty years ago, at twenty years old, Andrew Goodman set out to address the injustices he felt unable to sit by and witness. Today, our Andrew Goodman Ambassadors channel his courageous spirit by addressing widespread voter suppression and apathy with the larger goal of building a more just future for our democracy. 

The Andrew Goodman Foundation is proud to share how we successfully executed our 2024 Campaign to the Polls as part of the semester and ahead of the 2024 General Election. AGF’s 2024 Campaign to the Polls was designed to activate and mobilize young voters who are part of the Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere program and beyond to make their voices heard at the ballot box. Throughout the Fall 2024 Semester, Andrew Goodman Ambassadors registered 15,157 voters, hosted 1,324 events, recruited 332 poll workers, and engaged with 485,762 people. 

Take a look at some more highlights from the Fall 2024 Semester of the Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere program below!

Voter Registration

• On the last day to register to vote ahead of the General Election, Texas Woman’s University hosted a “Race to Register” event, which captured any remaining non-registered voters. During this event, former Congressman Beto O’Rourke visited campus to encourage students and promote youth democratic engagement.
• The University of South Carolina-Upstate partnered with ten different organizations and offices across their campus for National Voter Registration Day where they were able to register over 220 voters.
• The University of Baltimore hosted a “Poll Worker and Wings” Event where they conducted voter registration while also recruiting election judges by explaining the process of becoming a poll worker and providing food. At this event, the team recruited six poll workers!
• The Arizona State University Campus Team, in partnership with the Pastor Center and Undergraduate Student Government, hosted a National Voter Registration Expo and Town Hall. The event featured impressive community leaders and partners on panels and at tables, ultimately engaging over 400 students!

Voter and Civic Education

• The Campus Team at Bowling Green State University applied for and received a mini-grant to host a TedX Democracy Week. During this week, they facilitated a panel with the Ohio Secretary of State, ran a mock election, organized discussion events, and led a service activity.
• The Campus Team at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside made a concerted effort to integrate voter engagement into academic spaces this semester. They reached over 500 students directly by presenting in classes in person and also created an informational video and fact sheet to embed into online courses.

• Campus Teams at the University of California – Berkeley, Iowa State University, Cornell University, Georgetown University, Louisiana State University, and many more worked with university administrators to send campus-wide emails with key information and resources for voters.
• Many Vote Everywhere Campus Teams conducted classroom visits where they gave presentations about how to register to vote, provided reminders about important election deadlines, instructed students on how to research their ballots, and even recruited poll workers.
  • Georgetown University partnered with the University Registrar Office on their campus to obtain a list of classes with over 100 students. The Andrew Goodman Ambassadors used this list to strategically visit classrooms where they would make the most impact. 
  • St. Lawrence University conducted classroom visits to all mandatory first-year courses, ensuring first-year students were prepared to vote. 
  • Northampton Community College
  • Pace University 
  • Simpson College
  • The University of Central Arkansas
  • The University of Wisconsin-Parkside
  • And others! 

Get Out The Vote (GOTV)

• Andrew Goodman Ambassadors at Kutztown University hosted a Star-Spangled Scavenger Hunt event on Monday, November 4th, complete with nonpartisan candidate guides and cookie decorating to inform students about the election and provide information on how to cast their ballots on campus the next day. 

• Election at Bard hosted an Election Day event to get students to the polls. Outside their on-campus polling place, the Vote Everywhere Campus Team set up a table to check voter registration statutes and provide last-minute voter education. The team also partnered with faculty on campus to grill and provide food for voters. During this event, they engaged with over 550 people. 
• AGF partnered with the Virginia State University Marching Band to produce a video encouraging students to GOTV. The video reached 16,000 views on our Instagram page, and AGF provided lunch for the marching band on their way to the championship game. 
• Clark Atlanta University hosted an engaging and vibrant Presidential Debate Watch Party on Election Day, bringing together around 100 students for an evening of political discourse and school spirit. The event was a collaborative effort, with the university partnering with the NPHC Divine Nine and the Campus Activity Board to create an inclusive and dynamic atmosphere. This watch party offered students a unique opportunity to stay informed on the election while fostering a sense of community and active engagement.
• Dillard University hosted a “March to the Polls” on Election Day to increase voter turnout. Our ambassadors partnered with Student Government Association, Blueprint Collective, a coalition of civic engagement organizations, and the National Panhellenic Council, with approximately 75 students in attendance.
• The Campus Team at Iowa State University partnered with their campus transit buses to secure CyRide Bus Ads featuring important voting information, including five tail ads and ten digital ads. 
• Andrew Goodman Ambassadors at the University of La Verne had students design their own “I Voted” sticker on Election Day outside of their on-campus voting center. This event allowed the Ambassadors to reach a broad group of voters and even register more than ten students to vote that same day. 

Youth Voting Advocacy

• The Campus Team at the University of Louisville worked to change their mailroom policy for absentee ballots. Previously, absentee ballots were treated as regular mail, so students were not alerted when they arrived. They changed the process to treat absentee ballots like packages so that the mail room staff would alert students when they arrived. Additionally, the mail room provided stamps to return the ballots easily.
• The Campus Team at Simpson College worked with Student Development staff to provide printed lease agreements in every student’s mailbox at the beginning of the semester. Students brought these lease agreements to the polls to use as proof of residency, which is a requirement to vote in Iowa. Before this semester, students had to go to the Student Development office themselves to get their lease agreements.
• After hosting a satellite city clerk office over the past several years, the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor added a second satellite city clerk office this year for their north campus. These two sites functioned as campus voting hubs, allowing students to register to vote, fill out and turn in their absentee ballots all in one quick trip during Michigan’s early voting period and on Election Day.

Young people know the issues we need to address and the power held in our votes and voices. As history has shown us, our voices will continue screaming in harmony in the effort to build a just, peaceful world. Stay tuned as Andrew Goodman Ambassadors continue organizing into 2025 and beyond.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mia Matthews is the Program and Communications Manager at The Andrew Goodman Foundation. In her position, she works with student leaders and in communications surrounding their work. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.