In 1992, I was in an introduction to political science class learning for the first time about voter turnout. I remember vividly the room in the building on Syracuse University’s campus I was in as I realized there were people in the world who weren’t dying to turn 18 so they could vote. The first thing I thought was, “Who are these people?” The second thing I thought was, “I need to find them and tell them how important it is to vote.”

For 30 years, I have been proselytizing about the importance of voting in this republic. My commitment to this is longer than my marriage. When I went to graduate school, I told them I wanted to study voter turnout for my dissertation and was told I could not. So I did it anyway, conducting my own research, attending conferences and publishing about a topic I hold sacred.. Twenty years ago, I landed a position at Weber State University, and I started looking around for voter engagement opportunities. The best thing happened, I met a kindred spirit who cares about this work maybe as much as I do.

Brad Mortensen, who is now president of Weber State, was just a regular employee like me when I first met him. We were in meetings to figure out how to mobilize northern Utah politics, specifically how to get more leaders from our area into the state Legislature, which meant mobilizing students as well as community members. From my point of view, these early conversations laid the groundwork for the Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service that is the robust locus of political engagement on campus today.

Throughout the last two decades, President Mortensen has always been a friend on this journey. When people on campus got the idea that we were not allowed to speak about politics, Brad gave a talk encouraging them to become delegates in the Utah caucus system. He told everyone on campus that he welcomes them being politically engaged. For the record, Brad and I would disagree on some political issues, but we share, without a doubt, a commitment to inviting as many people as possible in our community to keep the republic along with us.

This week, the national organization, All In Campus Democracy Challenge, announced that Brad is serving on the President’s Council for the 2022 election cycle. More than 330 campuses across the country are part of the effort to support nonpartisan political engagement efforts. That means that more than 330 presidents signed up to help their students figure out how to be informed enough to make a good decision when they vote in November. Of those 330 presidents, only 15 were selected to serve on the Presidents Council to spearhead this fall’s efforts. This is an indication of how highly regarded Brad is in this space nationally. They asked him because of the work he has done.

What this means for Brad, who is quite possibly the busiest person I have ever worked with, is additional meetings on a national stage for the remainder of the year. And he agreed to do it! I find myself wondering if there are enough Thin Mints left for me to show my gratitude. But mostly, I find myself reflecting on the years of working with him and how lucky I am that he is my president. I work in many state, regional and national organizations full of faculty and staff trying to engage students politically, who have little to no support. Every time, I think, “Who are these presidents? Did they just sign on to these organizations but then didn’t mean it?” Every time I also think, “I need to find them and tell them how important it is to support the work of keeping the republic.”

But now, I don’t have to because Brad is going to find them and proselytize, not because I asked him to, but because he is committed to a version of our country in which all people find themselves welcomed into the republic. He is committed to putting his resources behind making sure that all people have the information they need to make good decisions about what they want for their communities. All In Democracy Challenge is lucky to have him. The republic needs every one of its eligible citizens to vote.

Leah Murray is a Brady Distinguished Presidential Professor of Political Science and the academic director of the Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service.

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