News Room

SAINT PAUL – On October 10, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon awarded Winona State University with the 2020 Democracy Cup. Minnesota's Democracy Cup is the statewide collegiate voter turnout competition. In 2020, Winona State University had the highest voter turnout of participating 4-year public state universities in Minnesota with 73.8% of its students voting.

“Getting young people involved in our democracy is critical to ensuring they become life-long voters,” said Secretary of State Steve Simon. “Winona State University is an excellent example of a campus that has created a culture of election participation that is passed down from class to class.”

The Democracy Cup is co-sponsored by the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, LeadMN (student association for public two-year colleges), Students United (student association for four-year state universities), Minnesota Student Association (student government for the University of Minnesota), Minnesota Association of Private College Students and Minnesota Campus Compact.

In 2020, three other colleges and universities won the Democracy Cup in their divisions. The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities was the 4-year public university with the highest voter turnout with 80.6% of its students voting. Inver Hills Community College was the 2-year public college with the highest voter turnout with 71.8% of its students voting. St. Olaf College was the 4-year private college with the highest voter turnout with 87.6% of its students voting.

Winners are determined by the college and university voting rate according to the National Student for Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) at Tufts University.

Photo left to right: Sec. Steve Simon; Rep. Gene Pelowski; Malorie Olson, Anya Hytry; Alizabelle Carmen