Rutgers' Eagleton Center for Youth Political Participation Launches RU Voting-National

A one-stop-shop for college students across the country to get registered, get informed, and cast their ballots this fall

The Center for Youth Political Participation (CYPP), part of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, launched the RU Voting-National website, a one-stop-shop for college students across the country to get registered, get informed, and cast their ballots this fall.

“The RU Voting-National website is a one-stop-shop for timely voter registration and election information. Higher education institutions can share the easy-to-use online resource with college students so that they can easily access state-specific voting information,” said Elizabeth C. Matto, Eagleton associate research professor and director of CYPP.

“Voting is going to be different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic – and each state is adopting a different approach. With the youth vote poised to play a significant role in this year’s election, it’s important for students to understand how their registration status and changes to their state’s voting system will affect their ability to participate in the 2020 presidential election. The RU Voting-National website provides comprehensive voter registration and election information on all states and territories,” said Matto.

RU Voting was created as a civic engagement initiative on Rutgers University campuses to provide Rutgers students with timely and relatable election and voter registration information. In 2018, Rutgers student voting rates nearly quadrupled – in large part thanks to the RU Voting Initiative – earning the university the recognition of "Greatest Growth in Student Voter Turnout" in the Big Ten Voting Challenge.

Building on its success on Rutgers campuses, the RU Voting team launched the national platform to share the program’s tried-and-true methods of increasing student voting rates.

Sleek and easy to navigate, the RU Voting-National website includes:

• State-by-state voter registration information
• State-by-state Election Day facts
• Guides on how to vote-by-mail
• Guides on finding polling locations
• Interactive chat feature