Olivia Osei-Tutu was recently recognized for her voter registration, education, and turnout efforts leading up to the 2022 midterm elections. As a senior double majoring in political science and art, she has gained national recognition for her work: she was named a 2022 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll member.
Osei-Tutu’s work contributed to a record turnout in the U.S. for college-age students. An estimated 23% of young people ages 18 to 29 came out to vote. That’s one of the highest youth turnout rates for a midterm election in the past 40 years. Dean of Students Lisa Erwin praised Osei-Tutu’s work, "I worked with Olivia on the voter registration and Get Out the Vote efforts this past fall and was impressed by her creativity, innovative approaches, talent for graphic arts, and the vision she developed for a multi-faceted program to reach students.”
As a sophomore she took on the role of student legislative relations for the UMD Student Government Association (SGA). This past year as external affairs officer for SGA, Osei-Tutu organized Bulldog Lobby Days at the Minnesota Capitol. That’s where UMD students meet with their legislators. Last year, in anticipation of the mid-term election, she helped organize Voterpalooza, a non-partisan event that helped UMD students register to vote.
Her passion for voter registration drives isn’t anything new. At home in Hopkins, Minn., she worked with the Minnesota Youth Collective registering people to vote. “I’ve participated in every election I could since I turned 18,” she says. At UMD, she went beyond her work with student government. “I became a voting delegate in 2016, which was a huge time commitment,” she said.
She has a deep respect for the democratic process. That and her hard work make her a deserving recipient of the 2022 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll.
