74% of Student-Athletes Registered to Vote: To Them the Election Has Been About Civics

It’s Civics, Not Fighting

This week’s Insights Briefing is about the presidential election, but you won’t find any data about either candidate. For the last four weeks I’ve studied social media sentiment and gathered survey data from thousands of student-athletes about the election. I know one thing for certain: student-athletes are not interested in political fights, nor the divisiveness or polarization that’s swallowed up much of the country. Below are the three most important insights about student-athletes and the election for Coaches and Administrators during this important week.

#1 Student-Athletes Care More About The Country’s Direction Than the Election

For all the grumbling many of us have done (“nobody teaches civics anymore!”), it seems that student-athletes understand the critical role of the average citizen. Most say they have absorbed an understanding of civics from (ranked in order) their parents, their grandparents, and high school teachers.

Student Athlete registered voted percentage

Ranked in order, student-athletes say the following are their five most important motivations for voting:

  1. Voting is the way we make change

  2. Voting gives me more power

  3. Voting is my responsibility

  4. Not voting is a cop-out

#2 Student-Athletes are Voting on Issues More Than Supporting Candidates or Parties

Neither presidential candidate is all that popular with student-athletes (neither is either political party), but their motivation to vote is at an all-time high. One reason is that student-athletes are “issues voters” - specifically on the issues that directly impact their lives. Ranked in order, those are:

  1. Pandemic

  2. Healthcare

  3. Economy

  4. Social justice 

  5. Student debt

Student-Athletes believe it’s the government’s role to fix systemic problems.

Student-athletes Are Voting on Issues

#3 Student-Athletes Want to Know Why Something (like Voting) That’s So Important Is So Difficult

In-person Voting Intentions

The NCAA Division I Council set aside Nov. 1 for student-athletes to vote in the elections or participate in other civic activities. Social media sites like Facebook and Snapchat have registered to vote more than 3 million young people. Efforts like these, both in and out of collegiate athletics, have made voting possible. But few student-athletes say it’s been made “easy.”

Student-athletes Voting Obstacles Faced

The obstacles student-athletes cite in trying to vote included: the need for a school ID, proof of enrollment, proof of residency, lack of nearby polling places, and difficulty in finding a ride to the polling site.

Tip: How to Talk to Student-Athletes on Election Week

Coaches and Administrators don’t need to be “political” or even share the views of student-athletes to show support for their efforts. 

  • Student-Athletes are not interested in political fights, nor the divisiveness or polarization that’s swallowed up much of the country

  • Student-Athletes care more about their country’s direction than the election - voting is the way they make change and it gives them more power

  • Student-Athletes vote based on the issues that directly impact their lives: pandemic, healthcare, economy, social justice, and student debt

Bill Carter