For Immediate Release
March 25, 2025
Fredericksburg, VA – Germanna Community College has been recognized as a Voter Friendly Campus, one of just 272 institutions across 39 states and the District of Columbia to earn this designation from Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. This initiative honors colleges and universities that actively promote student voter registration and participation.
The 2025 Voter Friendly Campus designation supports institutions in breaking down barriers to student civic engagement—not just in federal election years, but every year. Germanna earned this recognition based on its comprehensive plan to register, educate, and mobilize student voters in 2024, efforts to foster voter engagement on campus, and a final assessment of the impact.
“Germanna is honored to receive this designation,” says Dr. Frank Cirioni, Dean of Student Development. “It reflects the incredible efforts of our students, faculty, staff, and community in encouraging voter registration and participation. With annual elections in Virginia, fostering a habit of voting strengthens civic engagement and active citizenship.”
As part of the effort to be designated a Voter-Friendly Campus, Germanna:
- Created the Germanna VOTES program and webpage to help students, faculty, staff, and community members find up-to-date information about upcoming elections.
- Served as the first VA community college to partner with TurboVote to help students, faculty, staff, and community members register to vote, check their registration, and make a plan to vote.
- Served as the first VA community college to hire three (3) paid Virginia Democracy Fellows (interns) with the Fair Election Center's Campus Vote Project.
- Celebrated all four civic holidays online and on-campus.
- Opened its doors as a polling place for Spotsylvania County (FAC) and Orange County (LGC).
- Hosted nonpartisan community organizations to help register new voters.
The institutions designated Voter Friendly Campuses represent a wide range of two-year, four-year, public, private, rural, and urban campuses, collectively serving over four million students. Notably, the list of designated institutions includes 13 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as 47 Community Colleges.
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For media inquiries:
William Berry
Director of Marketing and Recruitment
(540) 834-1019
wberry@germanna.edu
About Germanna Community College
Established in 1970 as part of the Virginia Community College System, we are a comprehensive community college providing quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities for the residents of the City of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, Culpeper, King George, Madison, Orange, Spotsylvania and Stafford and for online learners everywhere.
NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. Our work provides high-quality professional development, advocacy, and research for 15,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries, and 8 U.S. territories.
Fair Elections Center is a non-partisan organization dedicated to safeguarding the future of our democracy through innovative efforts focused on voting rights and civic engagement. We use advocacy, litigation, organizing, education, and technology to protect and expand the right to vote, understanding the particular impact on disenfranchised, underrepresented, and marginalized communities. Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project works with universities, community colleges, faculty, students and election officials to reduce barriers to student voting and helps campuses institutionalize reforms that empower students with the information they need to register and vote.