Voter Engagement Plan

Campus Voter Engagement Plans

2016*|  2020* |  2022*  |  2024*  |  2026*

Campus Voter Engagement Plan

Local Partners:

• Glenn Beall Institute for Public Affairs – Jacob Shade
• Allegany County Board of Elections
• Allegany College of Maryland
• NAACP – local chapter
• Student Government Association – President or Designee
• Student Athletic Advisory Committee – President
• Fraternity & Sorority Life – VP of Programming
• Community Engagement Staff
• Media Relations Office - ye DeMartino
• Veterans Affairs Office - Dr. Clarissa Lang, Director
• FSU Faculty & Staff
  • Programming Partners: Political Science (Dr. Scott Johnson) and Communications (Dr. Elesha Ruminski)
• Lewis J. Ort Library Staff – Dr. Randall Lowe, Director
• Student Organizations – Black Student Alliance, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., College Panhellenic, NCNW, RHA, Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
• Frostburg City Administrator – Patrick O’Brien 

National Partners:

• ALL IN-Campus Democracy Challenge
• Ask Every Student
• Transform Mid-Atlantic
• Campus Vote Project
• Students Learn Students Vote Coalition
• TurboVote

Voter Registration:

Turbovote

FSU partners with TurboVote to offer students an online platform for all their voting needs, no matter where they are registered to vote. TurboVote helps students register to vote, obtain absentee ballots, and offers email and text message reminders about upcoming elections, polling locations, and other important voter information. 

Voter Information Tables

Each semester, at least one voter registration drive will occur on campus. During the 2026 Fall Semester, the Community Engagement Democratic Liaison will hosts weekly voter information tables in the Student Union, the Lane University Center.  At these tables, students can learn more about the voting process, register to vote, obtain absentee ballots, find polling locations, and information about early voting and election day activities. 

Civic Holidays:

National Voter Registration Day

For September the university will host National Voter Registration Day on campus.  Activities for the day include a social marketing campaign with a newly designed photo backdrop, a table with educational activities, voter registration and absentee ballot education and support in the Lane University Center.  Partners for this event include the Allegany County Board of Elections, the Student Government Association, student organizations, media relations, and the university library.  We will share the ALL IN to Vote on social media and in emails sent to students so they can look up election information like deadlines, voter ID, and take actions like registering to vote and requesting mail-in-ballots 

Voter Education Day

In October, the Voter Education Week timeframe allows the student staff and organizations to promote the importance of students voting.  Activities such as registering to vote, requesting a mail-in ballot, planning to vote, learning what’s on the ballot, and getting more involved in the voting process.  A board is set up to allow students to write what they vote for on one day and on another day, they can write what actions or causes they would like to see discussed by candidates.  The department will work with the women’s Field Hockey Team and voter engagement; this is part of an athletic initiative with support and our area.

Vote Early Day

In October, Vote Early Day is established to educate students about the early voting process, where they can vote early, when early voting is available, and resources about their ballot.  This effort is put out via social media as well as in the student union at one of our many voting tables throughout the semester.

Election Hero Day

In November, for Election Hero Day, Student Engagement will be recognizing students, faculty, and staff who take the time to act as poll workers and will be working to put together interviews to be shared on the Bobcats Vote page and social media of poll workers discussing their experience, and why they choose to volunteer.  Student Engagement will be creating thank you cards for these workers and our Student Government Association members to thank them for their time in democratic engagement.   

Constitution Day

In partnership with the Ort Library, and the J. Glenn Beall Institute for Public Affairs, this event is hosted.  A copy of the Constitution is printed out, with a QR Code leading to a survey and question to answer on a student’s favorite part of the constitution and what it means to them.  Since the Constitution was signed, pens are distributed as part of the promotional materials as well as pocket constitutions.  A raffle will also be included where a bound copy of the three great documents of the United States, an American flag, and gift card as part of a social media promotion to take a selfie with the Constitution and post on the university social media platform.  There is also an interactive activity of constitution trivia available for students.  To incorporate the Declaration and Constitution events, Student Engagement are purchasing/borrowing historical costumes of Ben Franklin, George Washington, and a colonial community member for a fun interactive activity. 

Voter Education:

A new program that Student Engagement would like to implement with the collaboration of some of our Campus Civic Engagement stakeholders, is to develop a video series on voter education and the importance of voting.   This voter education program will engage students in creating short, informative videos covering essential topics related to voting, such as voter registration, understanding ballots, election timelines, and the rights and responsibilities of voters, and have that peer-to-peer connection level of education.  Through this creative initiative, students can build a partnership with the Allegany County Board of Elections to choose correct terminology and language, and resources to embed in the video series.  This allows nonpartisan information in accessible formats designed to inform and empower their peers. The project will emphasize the importance of civic participation and help students recognize how voting serves as a vital mechanism for expressing community voices and shaping public policy.  By combining media production with civic learning, the program can foster a deeper understanding of democratic engagement.

Times Talk and the New York Times Subscription Program

As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance student awareness of current events and promote informed civic engagement, Frostburg State University has continued its campus-wide subscription to The New York Times.  This initiative has enabled the Office of Student Engagement to collaborate with the J. Glenn Beall Institute for Public Affairs in hosting bi-weekly “Times Talk” events, where students, faculty, and staff gather to discuss current political topics featured in the New York Times.

Beginning in 2026, the program will include more faculty and staff partnerships, allowing academic departments to collaborate with the Community Engagement Democratic Liaison in selecting discussion topics and preparing materials.  This collaborative approach introduces diverse perspectives, fosters interdisciplinary connections, and encourages greater student participation.

To further strengthen the program’s educational value, a new civil discourse component has been incorporated to teach students effective communication and respectful dialogue.  Informational pamphlets, developed with academic input, will be distributed at each session to provide a brief overview of civil discourse principles and best practices.  Through these discussions, students are encouraged to express their viewpoints, consider alternative perspectives, and engage in thoughtful, rigorous dialogue on complex political and social issues.

Times Talk for Discussion

Election Judge Recruitment

With student voter participation serving as a key component of democratic engagement, Frostburg State University is committed to strengthening and expanding its partnership with the Allegany County Board of Elections.  Building upon existing collaborative efforts, the university will continue to work closely with local election officials to support civic learning opportunities, voter education initiatives, and election administration efforts throughout the 2026 election cycle and beyond.

Through regular attendance and participation in the Allegany County Board of Elections monthly meetings, Frostburg State University has established an ongoing platform for communication, collaboration, and strategic planning related to student civic engagement.  These meetings provide opportunities to share ideas, identify community needs, and develop new initiatives that support both student learning and the county’s election operations.

In 2026, Student Engagement will reintroduce the Poll Worker Education Seminar in partnership with the Allegany County Board of Elections.  This initiative is designed to educate students about the responsibilities and importance of serving as Election Judges and Poll Workers while addressing a critical local community need.  At present, the county is experiencing a significant shortage of election workers, with nearly 100 additional poll workers needed for the upcoming election cycle.  By recruiting and training college students to serve in these roles, the university aims to assist the county in maintaining safe, efficient, and accessible elections, but allowing students to work the early voting polls in June 2026 at their local community.  This helps maintain their engagement with the election process and create meaningful opportunities for them to engage directly with democratic institutions, and election officials.

This continued partnership reinforces Frostburg State University’s commitment to nonpartisan civic engagement and experiential learning by connecting students with opportunities to actively participate in and support the democratic process at the local level.

Election Access:

To ensure students are confident when they vote, a special information table during the two weeks leading up to the election will happen.  At this table, students can obtain sample ballots from every county in MD, along with some adjacent counties in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.  There will also be information on how to find details on candidates’ platforms for multiple issues, including resources like Ballotpedia and Vote411. 

Student Engagement will again work with the county to ensure that more provisional ballots are available at the closest polling station to the university, which also assists community members as well.  During election day, Student Engagement will reach out to the Advisory Group members to assist with the polling location troubleshooting if any issues should arise.

Although 2026 is a Maryland state primary election year, the University System of Maryland has elected not to close campuses for students and staff on Election Day.  As a result, there will be an increased emphasis on educating the campus community about early voting and absentee voting options.  Planned initiatives will include expanded voter education programming, informational tabling events, and distribution of educational pamphlets detailing the steps required to successfully complete and submit early voting and absentee ballots.  These efforts are intended to increase voter accessibility and participation during a significant state election cycle

Turbovote Reminders

Students can sign up with TurboVote to receive reminders and information on polling locations, registration and absentee ballot deadlines, and election day information.

Mail-In Ballots

With many students registered at their permanent address in other counties in MD or other states, Frostburg State University focuses on educating students on the mail-in ballot process and assisting students in obtaining and turning in their mail-in ballots.  Frostburg State will continue to host the Board of Elections staff on campus once a week for four weeks leading up to the elections to collect Mail-In ballots on campus as well as answer questions and help students register and obtain Mail-In ballots.

Voter Shuttles

On election day, Student Engagement, in partnership with SGA’s SafeRide program, hosts a voter shuttle from a centralized location on campus to the local polling location starting at 8:00 am and running every 15 minutes.  Staff stay in communication with the shuttle driver and the local polling location and work to divert drop-offs to secondary locations if long lines begin to form, or if issues arise, such as voting machines going down, or if provisional ballots run low, to ensure students have the best voting experience possible.

Election Day:

Debate Watch Parties

Student Engagement will partner with watch parties in the student lounge of the Lane University Center.  Student organizations are encouraged to co-sponsor the event and take part in leading discussions at the event.  The newly purchased photo backdrop will be featured at the event so proud Bobcats can post their involvement in the event and the democratic process.

Events Calendar 2026 

 Note: An asterisk (*) indicates archived PDFs, which may have limited accessibility.