Lake Michigan College designated a 2020 Voter Friendly Campus

Campus Vote Project and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) have designated Lake Michigan College as a 2020 Voter Friendly Campus. LMC is one of 15 Michigan colleges and universities to earn the distinction, and one of 231 across the country. Colleges and universities are recognized for their voter registration efforts and activities to promote democratic engagement on campus.

The program to recognize voter friendly campuses began in 2016 with a partnership between Campus Vote Project and NASPA with the goal of helping colleges and universities develop strategies for increasing electoral and civic engagement. The organizations provide resources and ideas for colleges and universities on establishing organizational committees consisting of faculty, administrators, and students. Campus groups then create and submit plans, reporting on their successes along the way. Voter Friendly Campuses are selected based on the strategic plans developed and the successful execution of those plans.

In a news release from Lake Michigan College, details are provided about the college's strategic plan and the efforts taken to increase voter registration on campus both before and during the pandemic. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, the LMC Votes! Team, working with the League of Women Voters, held multiple drives on campus that registered new voters and updated existing registrations. After Michigan was shut down due to COVID-19, the team took their efforts online, utilizing social media platforms to continue engaging with the student body and community and the team hosted virtual debate watch parties. They also had LMC Votes! facemasks made and distributed them on campus. 

Faculty leaders appreciate the recognition of the hard work of the LMC Votes! group. LMC political science instructor and LMC Votes! coordinator Tiffany Bohm said, "Being named a Voter Friendly Campus recognizes our continued efforts to teach our students about civic engagement and how it applies to their everyday lives. Our students helped their friends and family get involved in the democratic process by promoting voter registration and helping the community get to their polling locations on election day."

This is the second time Lake Michigan College has been recognized as a Voter Friendly Campus. The first time was in 2019 for its efforts during the 2018 midterm election.