Badgers vote at nearly double the rate of other college students

A sidewalk chalking on UW-Madison's campus, 2024

By Christina Lorey

October 24, 2024

We all know Wisconsin is a force on the field, but it turns out Badgers have a stellar track record at the ballot box, too!

Earlier this fall, the UW-Madison was honored for having the highest student voter registration and voter turnout races among all four-year colleges in the state during the 2022 midterms. But that’s not all…

Last election cycle, Wisconsin won the 2022 Big Ten Voting Challenge – meaning more Badger students cast their ballots than any other Big Ten university!

Voter turnout among UW-Madison students clocked in at 55.8 percent in 2022 – nearly double the national voting rate of college students that year, which was 30.6 percent according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement.

This election cycle, the 18 universities that are now part of the Big Ten Conference will compete to win two titles – “Greatest Overall Turnout” and “Greatest Increase in Voting Rates.” The prize? A trophy… and a president that mirrors their values.

Learn more about this year’s Big Ten Challenge here.

Author

Christina Lorey

Christina Lorey is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and former UpNorthNews newsletter editor. She previously worked as a producer, reporter, and TV anchor for stations in Madison and Moline. When she’s not writing or asking questions, Christina volunteers with Girls on the Run, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and several mental health organizations.

View all posts

CATEGORIES: VOTING

Support Our Cause

Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Wisconsinites and our future.

Since day one, our goal here at UpNorthNews has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Wisconsin families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.