Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Wednesday announced the application period to serve on the 2023-2024 Michigan Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force is now open to college and university students across the state. The task force is a nonpartisan initiative of the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) in partnership with Campus Vote Project (CVP), a project of the Fair Elections Center, a national, nonpartisan voting rights organization. The student task force will work through the 2024 election cycle to improve youth voter engagement. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 15.
“It's critical that today’s young voters are also informed voters, and this task force helps young people better understand the process and truly engage in our democracy," said Benson. "We look forward to hearing directly from the new class of task force members on the best ways to support and empower students at Michigan colleges and universities, help them fully understand our state's new voting rights laws, and know exactly how to exercise their rights."
The task force, first established by Benson in 2019, brings together students from across the state who are passionate about civic engagement. Task force members will serve as liaisons between MDOS, their student body, school administrators, and peers. The group will advise on the unique experiences and barriers for student voters, helping to ensure the voices of young people are heard in our state's elections.
Appointed students will serve on the task force with optional enrollment in a paid CVP Democracy Fellowship from September 2023 through December 2024. As a Democracy Fellow, students will be provided the tools to turn their civic engagement ideas into action. Democracy Fellows will work to remove on-campus voting barriers, to educate their peers about elections, and to build a campus coalition to support student voter engagement.
“The Campus Vote Project team is excited to partner with Secretary Benson to provide more opportunities for student leaders who are committed to expanding voting access for their peers," said Landon Myers, Michigan Coordinator for CVP. “If Michigan is going to maintain the nation’s highest youth voter turnout in 2024, we must continue empowering students to organize their campus communities and remove barriers to voting.”
Applicants must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in a college or university in Michigan and demonstrate a commitment to voting and enthusiasm for voter engagement through their past experience, answers to application questions, and an interview. A total of 20 to 30 students from around the state will be selected to serve, with no more than two students representing any one school. Students set to graduate during the tenure of the task force will not be considered.
Additional information, as well as the task force application, can be found at Michigan.gov/SOSStudentTaskForce. Students can also email Secretary@Michigan.gov with questions or comments. The application period will close on Friday, Sept. 15, at 11:59 p.m.
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