Federal Probe Disrupts Michigan State University’s Student Voting Data Access
A federal investigation into a national study of college student voting trends is leaving Michigan State University without critical data on student voter engagement just months before the November midterm elections.
Since 2016, MSU has relied on data provided through Tufts University’s National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE) to track student registration and voter turnout broken down by demographics, class year, and major. This information supports MSUvote, a nonpartisan group focused on boosting turnout and educating students on political issues and candidates.
MSUvote Co-Director Renee Miller Zientek explains the significance: “We used NSLVE data to identify the best times, places, and student groups to target voter education and outreach. Without it, our ability to tailor efforts is constrained.”
U.S. Department of Education Investigates Student Voting Study
In February, the U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into the NSLVE, amid allegations that the study violated student privacy laws. Officials cited reports that data compilation “involves sharing college students’ data with third parties to influence elections.”
Tufts University defends the study, stating all data received from the National Student Clearinghouse arrives anonymized and NSLVE reports only release aggregated, de-identified results. Despite these claims, the Clearinghouse announced it was withdrawing from the project, and Tufts has suspended any further report releases until the investigation concludes.
This pause leaves MSU without key insights into voter registration and turnout trends across different student groups, making it difficult to adapt MSUvote’s strategies ahead of a crucial midterm election.
Impact on Campus Voting Initiatives and Future Outlook
Without detailed data, MSUvote must rely on broad historical trends and ongoing commitments to outreach programs targeting first-time voters. Miller Zientek laments the lost opportunity to benchmark against past elections: “It would be invaluable to benchmark student voter turnout versus our last midterm, but now we can’t.”
Election-night data from East Lansing showed students voting on-campus backed Democrats at lower rates than in previous elections, but this only covered absentee or off-campus voters partially. The absence of comprehensive data prohibits MSUvote from fully understanding where and how students are voting—whether on campus, absentee, or out-of-state—which limits precise outreach efforts.
MSU’s rising success in campus voting engagement is also at risk. The university was recently recognized as the “Most Improved Voting Rate” among Big Ten colleges in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, which uses NSLVE data to compare institutions nationally. The investigation threatens to stall this momentum by halting comparable future assessments.
Moving Forward Without Data, But With Resolve
Looking ahead to the 2026 midterms, MSUvote will prioritize programming aimed at boosting civic skills, political identity, and offering broader educational workshops to support voter engagement. Miller Zientek stresses the importance of pressing on, even without data:
“It’s human nature to want to see how we’ve improved, but it doesn’t change the mission about providing voter education and making voting accessible to MSU students.”
As the investigation unfolds, students and campus groups nationwide will be watching closely. The loss of NSLVE data cuts into the ability of universities to understand and boost young voter turnout — a critical demographic in shaping elections across the United States as midterms approach.
The Alabama Report will continue to monitor this developing story, providing updates on how this federal probe impacts student voting efforts both locally and nationally.
