April 2, 2025
Ferris State University is designated a Voter-Friendly Campus by NASPA and Campus Vote Project for registration efforts
Ferris State University was named a Voter Friendly Campus, one of 272 campuses in 39 states and the District of Columbia, by Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.
The organizations recognize institutions that set in place practices to encourage their students to register and vote.
Pictured with Ferris State student Edgar Santiago-Rivera (right) with Nicholas Maccani (left), the Michigan deputy state coordinator for Campus Vote Project.
The mission of the 2025 Voter Friendly Campus designation is to bolster colleges and universities’ efforts to help students overcome barriers to participating in the political process, every year, not just during years featuring federal elections.
Ferris State was evaluated based on a written plan for how the university planned to register, educate, and turnout student voters in 2024, how it facilitated voter engagement efforts on its campus, and a final analysis of its efforts.
Ferris State’s efforts were led by student Edgar Santiago-Rivera and supported by the Career and Professional Success staff. Activities included awareness campaigns, bringing the SOS Mobile Voter Registration on campus, and transportation from campus to local polling sites on election day.
“It's a crucial topic since it empowers students to have a voice in decisions that directly affect their lives, from tuition policies to broader issues like healthcare and immigration,” Santiago- Rivera said.
College students represent a significant voting bloc, yet they have historically faced barriers to participation. These challenges have included confusing registration processes, voter ID laws, and misinformation.
By engaging students in the voting process, a habit of civic participation is cultivated that extends beyond college, and into lifelong engagement in democracy.
“This effort is especially important to me because, as a first-generation, bilingual Mexican American from a working-class background, I understand the power of representation and advocacy,” Santiago-Rivera said. “Many policies disproportionately impact marginalized communities, and voter participation is one of the strongest tools to push for equity and change. Leading voter engagement efforts in the 2024 elections has reinforced my belief that when we the students show up, it can drive meaningful change.”
The institutions designated Voter Friendly Campuses represent a wide range of two-year, four-year, public, private, rural, and urban campuses, collectively serving over four million students. Notably, the list of designated institutions includes 13 historically Black colleges and universities, as well as 47 community colleges.
NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. Its work provides high-quality professional development, advocacy, and research for 15,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries, and eight U.S. territories.
The Fair Elections Center is a non-partisan organization dedicated to innovative efforts focused on voting rights and civic engagement. It uses advocacy, litigation, organizing, education, and technology to protect and expand the right to vote, understanding the particular impact on disenfranchised, underrepresented, and marginalized communities.