2018
Hawk the Vote was founded by political science and sociology student Jocelyn Roof, who graduated in 2021. Roof created Hawk the Vote alongside the University of Iowa Undergraduate Student Government.
2019
Hawk the Vote was adopted as an official program under the Office of Leadership, Service, and Civic Engagement in 2019. Student and faculty leaders in the OLSCE begin to select four undergraduates to serve annually on the executive board.
2020
Hawk the Vote facilitates its first presidential election under past Executive Director Kathryn Shumaker. In 2020, Hawk the Vote helped students navigate voter registration through a global pandemic with flagship programs.
2021
Hawk the Vote registers as a sponsored student organization (SSO) under the supervision of the Office of Leadership, Service, and Civic Engagement.
Past Elections
2024 Election
Interested in joining our team? Apply to serve as Voting Ambassador for the 2024 Election Cycle!
2023 Local Election
Our most recent election! Led by Alexis Carfrae, a 2023 grad, this election focused on streamlining our candidate interest guides, directly connecting the Hawkeye Community with local city councilors, and continuing our partnership with Iowa’s B1G Athletic groups to facilitate voter education workshops. 2023 acted as another transition year to ensure the best success for the 2024 presidential election.
2022 Midterm Election
Under the direction of Kathryn Shumaker, the 2022 midterms were greatly vested in adapting organizational strategies to better engage students and meet their evolving needs as leaders in our democracy. We continued to empower students to exercise their right to vote while bolstering preexisting programs including the 90% Challenge, tabling events, and programming outreach. We continued to collaborate with other campus organizations, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG), and the greater Iowa City community to maximize our impact.
2021 Local Election
Hawk the Vote's work extends beyond major election cycles—like a presidential or midterm election. This year, leadership focused on earning SSO (Sponsored Student Organization) status—further boosting the organizational success of Hawk the Vote for years to come. In 2021, Hawk the Vote we were officially registered as an SSO in the Office of Leadership, Service, and Civic Engagement.
2020 Presidental Election
Hawk the Vote’s first super-election year! This year saw significant interest in increasing civic engagement across all facets of our work by creating a workshop series and brand partnership package to engage with the greater Hawkeye Community. Hawk the Vote navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting programming away from in-person work and towards a virtual environment.
2019 Local Election
Local elections mark transitionary periods for our organization—members of Hawk the Vote work to organize an effective election season for the next year’s major election. Under Joesph Verry, Hawk the Vote was officially partnered with the Office of Leadership, Service, and Civic Engagement to help uplift the University of Iowa’s goals to integrate civic engagement into the fabric of student life. The OLSCE became Hawk the Vote’s organizational base camp, establishing a professional advisor to the group who oversees the day-to-day functions of Hawk the Vote while ensuring our work stays in line with the greater Strategic Plan of the University of Iowa Office of the President.