Christopher Byrnes ’26 named 2025 Newman Civic Fellow

By Madeline Marriott ’24

Christopher Byrnes ’26 wants to understand democracy. 

“I’ve always had an interest in the inner workings of our system,” he says. “Not just from a research perspective, but on the ground, getting people out to vote and have a say in politics.” 

Byrnes does just that as co-director of Lafayette Votes, a nonpartisan campus organization through the Landis Center for Community Engagement that aims to increase civic engagement on campus. 

Christopher Byrnes ’26 | Photo by JaQuan Alston

Last fall, Byrnes worked to mobilize voters leading up to the 2024 election. This included introducing electronic voter registration to campus for the first time, allowing both better tracking of registration data and registration help for students voting outside of Pennsylvania. Over 1,500 students voted at the on-campus polling station last November. 

“Whenever I register someone to vote, there’s this really wonderful feeling,” he says. “Seeing them at the polls, engaging in this value that we all hold dear, especially when I know it’s their first time voting, I’m really proud of that.” 

Byrnes’ efforts have earned him this year’s Newman Civic Fellowship, a yearlong program fostering student leaders in civic engagement. 

“Chris is so passionate and energizes everyone around him,” says Caroline Lee, professor of sociology and faculty director at the Landis Center. “He drove hours for Krispy Kreme donuts to feed our students on Election Day and came all the way to Washington, D.C., with me to the White House in November 2024 for a convening on youth civic and voter engagement, sharing his experiences with student leaders from all over the country.” 

Byrnes is looking forward to attending the program’s conference this year to brainstorm ideas to bring back to College Hill. 

“There will be people there involved in a wide array of civic engagement projects, so I’m excited to see the work that all these groups have done on their projects,” Byrnes says. “I hope we’re all able to share resources, and I hope I come back from the conference with ideas on how to integrate that work into what we do at the Landis Center.” 

Christopher Byrnes ’26 | Photo by JaQuan Alston

Byrnes’ work engaging his fellow students politically follows logically from his participation in the McKelvy Scholars Program, a community of students committed to intellectual curiosity and inquiry. Weekly student-led discussions are a hallmark of the McKelvy program, and allow Byrnes to find common ground and inspiration from his fellow students across all disciplines. 

“McKelvy is like a second home to me, challenging me intellectually and to become a better human being. In a way, McKelvy is its own unique form of civic engagement, and that’s why I love it,” Byrnes shares.

In addition to his work with Lafayette Votes, Byrnes served as the executive director of data management at Every Vote Counts (EVC), a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing turnout among young voters. 

“I was able to take the skills I learned working at Lafayette Votes and apply them to conducting data analysis in other parts of the country,” he explains. 

His efforts with EVC included creating a voter guide to help North Carolinians displaced by Hurricane Helene figure out how and where to vote. He has also worked in the Gov Lab, Lafayette’s student-led, nonpartisan policy research group. 

He follows in the footsteps of Giulia Matteucci ’24 and Dimitri Chernozhukov ’25, former directors of Lafayette Votes and recipients of the Newman Civic Fellowship, and credits their leadership along with that of his professors and advisers for encouraging him on his path. 

“I’ve had so many unique opportunities at Lafayette, from speaking on voter engagement panels to study abroad and things like this fellowship,” he says. “Everything I do certainly wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of those around me.”