NESCAC institutions are continuing their partnership with the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for a NESCAC Votes initiative. The NESCAC Votes initiative seeks to inform and increase civic engagement and share non-partisan voter registration tools and resources in advance of Election Day on November 5.
As part of the NESCAC Votes initiative, the NESCAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the NESCAC Coalition of Student-Athletes of Color (CoSAoC) will conduct a NESCAC Student-Athlete Voting Challenge.
“The NESCAC thrives on student-athletes that do much more than play on sports teams. The ALL IN campaign, which aims for 100% eligible student-athlete voter turnout, is one way in which we as student-athletes can contribute to something outside of our sport(s). Everyone casting a ballot ensures that every voice is represented in the policies that run our country," said Will Onubogu, a junior on the Bowdoin Men's Basketball team and NESCAC CoSAoC Co-President.
The competition will be measured by how many student-athletes Take the Pledge to vote. Each time a student-athlete pledges to vote, their participation will be included on a leaderboard that will display how many students at each institution have pledged to vote.
“Essential to the student-athlete experience is understanding that improvement, in both performance and team culture, can only happen through individual actions. ALL IN encourages and provides an opportunity for college athletes to continue practicing just that. By exercising our right to vote, we are given authority to directly shape our futures and impact our communities. The campaign’s goal of 100% student-athlete voter turnout represents the values of a strong team culture - every voice matters," said Andrew Chong, Williams Men's Tennis senior and NESCAC SAAC Co-Chair.
“For college athletes, voting is much more than a civic duty—It's a powerful way to embody and champion the values of teamwork and leadership that we cultivate everyday, whether it's on the field, court, or beyond. By partnering with the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, the NESCAC Votes Initiative demonstrates that our generation of student-athletes is ready to use our voices to drive positive and meaningful change,” stated Eva Ross, a senior on the Connecticut College women's squash team and NESCAC SAAC Co-Chair.
Members of institutional SAAC and CoSAoC groups are also working with campus organizations and the general student body to increase awareness, voter registration, and voter turnout at each institution. Several NESCAC institutions were recently recognized by ALL IN for their engagement efforts during the 2022 Midterm Elections.
