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DASHBOARD: WILLIAM & MARY
| PermID | 5071100403 |
| Website | https://www.wm.edu/ |
| Industry | University |
| Address | WILLIAMSBURG VIRGINIA United States |
ACTIVITIES:
The College of William & Mary is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, after Harvard University.
+ WILLIAM & MARY [2 Press Releases]
+ WILLIAM & MARY: $1 & $2: EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING STUDENT VOTERS
National Voter Registration Day may be Sept. 19, but Marley Fishburn '24, M.P.P. '25 works year-round to encourage her fellow students at William & Mary to become active voters. Marley Fishburn '24, M.P.P. '25 (right) and other students present information on voting during the Day for Admitted Students. (Courtesy photo)
Fishburn, a member of the university's Voter Engagement Committee and public policy major, was honored earlier this year by All In for her efforts. She was one of 175 students nationwide to be named to the organization's Student Voting Honor Roll for going "above and beyond to advance nonpartisan student voter registration, education and turnout efforts in their communities."
Democracy is one of four main initiatives in the university's Vision 2026 strategic plan, and the university is designated as a Voter Friendly Campus. The student voting rate at William & Mary is higher than the national average, according to a study by the Institute of Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University. Their most recent survey shows that 82.4% of eligible students voted on Election Day in 2020, significantly higher than the average of 66% across institutions. Additionally, 89.2% of $1 & $2 students who were registered to vote participated in the 2020 election, and 92% of students were registered to vote.
In recognition of National Voter Registration Day, $1 & $2 News talked with Fishburn recently about the importance of voting and the work that she and others are doing to encourage it. Q. Why is promoting voter registration so important to you, and what work have you done around it?
A. We live in a country where disinformation and populism run rampant and growing feelings of helplessness and hopelessness create a culture where people disregard their civic duty to vote. Young people especially are...