LANSING, Mich. – This month, the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) wrapped up the department’s 2025 fall college tour. The Secretary of State Mobile Office and its nonpartisan poll worker recruitment program, Democracy MVP, visited 24 Michigan colleges and universities in September and October, bringing essential services and information directly to students, faculty, and staff throughout the state. This outreach encourages civic responsibility among young voters and makes transactions typically offered in person at branch offices – like renewing a driver’s license, registering to vote, or getting a REAL ID – easily accessible on their college campuses.
“Young people in Michigan continue to shape the future of our state and lead the nation in turnout at the polls,” Secretary of State Jocelyn 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 Secretary of State mobile office and Democracy MVP program made stops at the following college and universities:
“I am really excited about the opportunity to bring the Secretary of State mobile office to HFC,” said Henry Ford College Executive Director Tracye Y. Davis. “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.”
"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," said Cathy Steiner, director of University Event Services and Eastern Michigan University Student Center. We appreciate the Secretary of State's flexibility in coming directly to campus to offer these important services."
“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,” said Jamie Valente, manager of student life & leadership at Macomb Community College.
“We are grateful for our partnership with the Michigan Department of State,” said Melissa Baker-Boosamra, associate director of the office of student life at Grand Valley State University. “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, and young people have the responsibility, the right and the opportunity to take the world that we live in and make it their own. The reality is, it is a little bit of a trip to get to a Secretary of State's office, whether that be by car or by bus and 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. If we have students who are on the east side of the state, we can send them to the mobile unit, and they will be able to be served just like students who are from right down the road.”
Michigan’s young voters
Michiganders aged 18 to 29 are among the nation’s most active young voters. Young people in Michigan voted in record numbers in 2024, marking the highest four-year increase in young voter turnout nationwide and ranking #3 in the nation for overall young voter turnout, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University. The CIRCLE report cited Michigan’s accessible voting policies, including preregistration for voters aged 16 and older, automatic voter registration, voting by mail, and early in-person voting, as contributing factors to the state’s high youth turnout in the 2024 election.
Michigan residents aged 16 or older can serve as poll workers in their community’s elections. The nonpartisan Democracy MVP program connects Michiganders interested in working as a poll worker with local clerks hiring workers for upcoming elections. Learn more at Michigan.gov/DemocracyMVP.
Secretary of State Mobile Office
Since its debut in fall 2021 with just one single van in Southeast Michigan, the mobile office program’s fleet has now grown to seven vehicles serving the entire state, making stops at senior centers, veterans’ organizations, health fairs, and other community events. In 2025, mobile offices brought accessible Secretary of State services to more than 1,100 events in communities throughout Michigan and conducted nearly 27,000 transactions for residents.
