Winona State University received the 2020 Democracy Cup, being recognized for having the highest voting rates in Minnesota as a 4-year public state university. This is the fourth time WSU has received this award, and it comes shortly after the university was awarded the Gold Seal for student voter registration and turnout in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
The Democracy Cup awards are given to colleges and universities that have high student voting rates in Minnesota according to the National Study for Learning, Voting and Engagement at Tufts University.
The Minnesota Secretary of State, who announced the awards, is a co-sponsor of the Democracy Cup along with other organizations including LeadMN and Students United.
Student voting has started to increase during the 2018 election and is continuing to grow. WSU President Scott Olson described how important voter participation is at the university.
Winona State University is honored and delighted to be recognized again in the Democracy Cup competition. We take voting very seriously here, and our students and faculty do a tremendous job in getting our community to the polls. This was especially challenging during COVID, so I am doubly proud of this achievement. Without voter participation, we don’t have a democracy, so Winona State University is committed to doing our part. This makes Minnesota stronger, and we all benefit!
Three other winners of the 2020 Democracy Cup among WSU included St. Olaf College, University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, and Inver Hills Community College.
