Summary
The social work profession with the United States (US) has seen laudable efforts to increase voter engagement (Abramovitz, et. al., 2019), including with university students (Hill, et. al., 2019; Hylton, et. al., 2018; Lane, et. al., 2019). This push reflects a commitment to promote political power through voter engagement (Lane, et. al., 2007). Civic knowledge has been shown to promote voter engagement (CIRCLE, 2013). Knowledge of the processes and policies that govern elections and voting in an important component of civic knowledge. This specific form of civic knowledge, which will be referred to as electoral knowledge, emphasizes the participatory ideals imperative to democracy, including the role of voting in a democracy, the exercise of political power, and the realization of social justice. While efforts to engage students in voting have increased, little is known regarding what these students understand about elections and voting. This study sought to explore the electoral knowledge of university students as well as how this knowledge influences voter engagement among these students. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design with students enrolled in a public university in the eastern US. Students were asked to complete a 32-item online survey measuring their knowledge of elections and voting rights, as well as their engagement in voting and perceptions of electoral integrity. Two hundred and sixty-three students completed the survey. Students evidenced moderate understanding of elections and voting rights. While they were likely to understand basic election facts, they were far less likely to understand the rights of specific vulnerable populations or where voter registration can legally happen. This finding supports increased coverage of voting rights and laws governing nonpartisan voter engagement. Furthermore, students in this study were concerned about threats to elections. Educators should explore these threats directly, with specific attention to how voter suppression impacts vulnerable populations.
Keywords (separate with commas)
Electoral Knowledge, Voter Engagement, Voting Rights, Elections, Voter Suppression, Voting