BGSU nationally recognized again for developing plan to support nonpartisan civic engagement and voting among students

1. BGSU
2. News
3. Online Media Newsroom
4. BGSU nationally recognized again for developing plan to support nonpartisan civic engagement and voting among students

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - For the third time, Bowling Green State University has received national recognition for its commitment to establishing a plan to increase nonpartisan civic engagement and education and voter participation rates among students.

For 2026, BGSU is the only college or university in northwest Ohio - and one of only three statewide and 129 nationwide - to earn the Highly Established Action Plan Seal from ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. The accolade represents the highest designation for action plans by the Washington-based voting advocacy group.

"We are honored to see BGSU being recognized once again for its support of nonpartisan civic engagement and voting for students," said Kendra Lutes, associate director of student leadership and civic engagement in the C. Raymond Marvin Center for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement at BGSU. "Student involvement in our nation's democratic process is so important and this designation highlights a campuswide commitment to empowering students with educational programming, experiences and opportunities that promote and support a healthy democracy."

To be considered for the bi-annual award, BGSU had to meet criteria in nine categories established by ALL IN, including the development of and adherence to goals, strategy, evaluation and reporting.

Much of the work was executed by BGSU Votes, a nonpartisan, student-led group focused on voter and political engagement to increase student knowledge and skills to engage in democracy, politics, policymaking and social action.

The recognition is among several accolades BGSU has received from ALL IN since joining the initiative in 2016.

ALL IN designated BGSU as a silver campus in 2018, 2020, and 2022 for its voting percentage rate. The University earned Highly Established Action Plan honors in 2022 and 2024, respectively.