Did You Know…

According to the American Council on Education, 66% of college students voted in the 2020 presidential election. Young Americans make up 1/5 of the electorate in the 2024 election and 16 million Americans will have their first opportunity to participate in a presidential election this year!

Year over year, the proportion of U.S. adults openly identifying as LGBTQ+ has steadily increased: In 2021, more than 7.1% of all U.S. adults (age 18+) on the Gallup Poll Social Surveys identified as LGBTQ+, double that of less than a decade before (3.5% in 2012), and a more than 25% increase from 2020, when 5.6% of adults identified as LGBT.

LGBTQ+ Student Organizations on college campuses have and will continue to play a vital role in the larger fight for LGBTQ+ equality and intersectional justice. Engaging in electoral politics and voting is just one tool to make positive change for our community. OutVote and HRC Foundation have partnered on the College LGBTQ+ Student Group Toolkit for campus organizers to help get out the vote this year. This toolkit is designed to give you ideas, guidance, and resources to engage your campus community in getting out the vote! Take what works, leave what doesn’t, and engage your community in this important election.

Constitution Day Challenge (September 17th)

Tuesday, September 17th is National Voter Registration Day and Constitution Day. Did you know that any educational institution that receives federal funding, including most colleges and universities (even if they are private) is required to host events on the US Constitution on September 17th? It’s the perfect time to host events to educate your peers on our government and to get out the vote!

HRC Foundation’s Constitution Day Drawing- The HRC Foundation wants to hear about your events for Constitution Day and we will select 5 campuses to receive HRC Foundation Swag Packages for your student organization. Here’s how to participate:

1. Submit your organization’s events via https://hrc.wufoo.com/forms/pride-to-the-polls-constitution-day-challenge/

2. Host your event and take lots of pictures highlighting your great work!

3. Collect data on how many students you engage with, how many you register to vote, how many confirm their registration, and how many take the Pride to the Polls pledge.

4. HRC Foundation staff will follow up to get your data and photos and share them on social media highlighting your campus, your organization, and your good works.

5. Finally, the HRC Foundation will select 5 campuses to receive the HRC Foundation Swag Packages.