Capitol News

This month, the Michigan Department of State completed its 2025 fall college tour, bringing the Secretary of State Mobile Office and Democracy MVP poll worker recruitment program to 24 colleges and universities across Michigan during September and October. The initiative aimed to provide essential government services directly on campuses and encourage civic participation among students, faculty, and staff.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson emphasized the importance of reaching young voters where they are: “Young people in Michigan continue to shape the future of our state and lead the nation in turnout at the polls,” Benson said. “College is a busy time, so we meet students where they are and bring our department’s essential services directly to them. By making government more accessible, we support Michigan’s strong, civically engaged college and university communities."

The tour included stops at institutions such as Albion College, Central Michigan University, Henry Ford College, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Wayne State University, Western Michigan University, among others. At each location, students could renew their driver’s licenses, register to vote, obtain a REAL ID, or learn about becoming a poll worker through Democracy MVP.

Tracye Y. Davis, Executive Director at Henry Ford College (HFC), commented on the value for her campus community: “I am really excited about the opportunity to bring the Secretary of State mobile office to HFC,” Davis said. “As a member of the MiLEAP Michigan College Student Basic Needs Task Force, we determined 12 Actionable Initiatives to assist with removing barriers for our students. One key Priority Recommendation is to enhance access to existing resources. This partnership between my office, HFC Student Activities, and the Michigan Secretary of State allows our entire College community—including students, faculty, staff, and community members—to conduct business with the Secretary of State right here at the College. I also understand how this is a sensitive time for members of our community, and some of the trust regarding governmental entities might have been compromised. We want to assure our students and community that they are in a safe place. Being able to provide this service on-site at the College to remove the transportation, location, and office hours barriers is a huge win for our community.”

Cathy Steiner from Eastern Michigan University noted: "The Secretary of State's Mobile Office is always a popular attraction at Eastern Michigan University because our students -- most of whom are from Michigan -- have easy access to update their driver's license, register to vote, and complete other important tasks," Steiner said. "We appreciate the Secretary of State's flexibility in coming directly to campus to offer these important services."

Jamie Valente at Macomb Community College added: “The Secretary of State Mobile Office’s presence on Macomb Community College’s Warren campus during Voter Engagement Day significantly enhanced access to voter services, helping our community engage more fully in the democratic process.”

Melissa Baker-Boosamra from Grand Valley State University highlighted logistical benefits: “We are grateful for our partnership with the Michigan Department of State,” Baker-Boosamra said. “Having the mobile branch office on campus—we call that our one-stop-shop for voter registration for Grand Valley. And having all the other services too—it really is a wonderful program. The youth are our future… The reality is it is a little bit of a trip to get to a Secretary of State's office...so…the great thing about working with the Secretary of State's office when it comes to voter registration is that no matter where in Michigan our students are from they are able to be served by that mobile unit.”

According to data from Tufts University's Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE), young voters in Michigan ranked third nationwide for turnout in 2024 after seeing record increases over four years—a trend attributed partly to policies such as preregistration starting at age 16 as well as options like automatic voter registration and early voting.

Michigan residents aged 16 or older can serve as poll workers through programs like Democracy MVP which connects interested individuals with local clerks hiring for upcoming elections.

Since launching its first van in Southeast Michigan in fall 2021,the mobile office program has expanded statewide with seven vehicles now serving various events including senior centers,veterans’ organizations,and health fairs.In 2025,the fleet visited more than 1,\100 events statewide completing nearly 27,\000 transactions.For information about requesting visits or learning more about services available via mobile offices,residents can visit https://www.michigan.gov/SOSMobileOffice .