The campus-wide Brown Votes initiative was designed to improve voter registration, education and participation at Brown. With joint and equal participation from students, faculty and staff and the Swearer Center, Brown Votes streamlines voter initiatives at the University by providing a hub for resource-sharing, communication and coordination among all student groups, faculty members and staff.
Brown Votes
About
Brown Votes began in spring 2020 as a nonpartisan, student-led initiative operating in partnership with the Swearer Center at Brown University.
About
Brown Votes began in spring 2020 as a nonpartisan, student-led initiative operating in partnership with the Swearer Center at Brown University.
University Support for Brown Votes
Brown Votes transitioned from a student group to a University-wide collective impact initiative in 2021. The Operations Committee, Steering Committee, the Swearer Center and the student group work together to advocate for processes that create more democratic participation for all members of the Brown community.
Brown Votes Steering Committee
The Steering Committee is co-chaired by Swearer Center executive director and Vice President for Community Engagement Mary Jo Callan and Assistant Vice President for Government and Community Relations Albert Dahlberg.
Faculty and staff who are interested in joining the Brown Votes Steering Committee can contact austin_wilson@brown.edu to learn more.
Brown Votes Student Group
The Brown Votes student group meets weekly during the academic year, on Sundays at 6:30 p.m. in the Swearer Center. New members are always welcome, and students can serve on one or more of the following operations committees. Email brown_votes@brown.edu with any questions.
Swearer Center Staff and Resources
Swearer Center staff members work directly with Civic Engagement (CE) Fellows and the Brown Votes student group to develop and implement strategies, initiatives and communications aligned with Brown University’s civic engagement priorities.
Ways to Engage
Learn more about how you can support Brown Votes and other ways to engage in voting advocacy, both on and off campus.
Making an Impact
The efforts of Brown Votes have produced meaningful impact, particularly since it has relaunched as a campus-wide, collective impact initiative rather than a single student group. Opening these avenues for improving connectivity with all student organizations, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and academic and administrative units has proven to be effective and valuable; however, significant work remains to improve and sustain voting and related civic engagement across campus.
Brown’s Voting Turnout History
| 2016 General Election | 62.9% |
| 2018 Midterm Election | 46.1% |
| 2020 General Election | 60.5%* |
| 2022 Midterm Election | Data pending |
Source: https://idhe.tufts.edu/nslveThe National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement
*Due to Brown’s schedule shifts during the COVID-19 pandemic, this number may not be as accurate as in previous years.
ALL IN Voting Challenge
Brown University is a member of the ALL IN Ivy League Voting Challenge, an intercollegiate voter participation challenge. This challenge has created a coalition of students, staff and faculty members from each Ivy League institution who share best practices and resources with one another. This friendly competition aims to increase and improve civic engagement efforts on all participating campuses.
Brown University has earned the Highly Established Action Plan Seal for the 2024 election cycle for developing a nonpartisan democratic engagement action plan. Brown is one of 93 campuses that has earned this recognition so far for the 2024 election cycle.