By Angelica Hartgers
Tuesday, Oct. 9 is the last day for eligible Texans to register to vote in the November general elections.
Students who are not registered will miss their chance to vote in the presidential election — and that opportunity won’t come again until 2016. It is important that students who are eligible to vote participate in elections, especially with issues on the table that directly affect them — economy, unemployment, education, health care and many others.
Commit to voting in the 2012 elections and make the step to register to vote before it’s too late.
Christina Suthammanont, assistant professor of political science, explained in an email not only the importance of voting, but the necessity to make an informed vote. She said that a working democracy requires citizens to recognize their interests and determine whether elected officials will do their best to serve those interests.
“Otherwise, it’s just a popularity contest,” she said.
Texans can vote for presidential, congressional, state and local elections on Election Day, Nov. 6, or go to the polls during early voting, Oct. 22 to Nov. 2.
Voting initiatives are in high gear across the state to encourage eligible Texans to participate in the elections.
“Every vote will make a difference in the important local, state and federal election that will be decided in November,” said Senator Judith Zaffirini in an Oct. 1 press release prepared by the state capitol office.
Voter registration officials say they are trying to keep up with the demand of new voter registrations as the Oct. 9 deadline approaches.
“We are getting hundreds of applications daily,” said Cindy Duarte, voter registration coordinator in the Bexar County Elections Department.
Duarte said that her office is processing about 3,000 applications per day, a number that includes both new and updated registrations. She added that there are currently about 890,000 registered voters in Bexar county.
Voter registration applications are available at local voter registration offices and many post offices and libraries, as well as DPS offices. Duarte said that applications can also be found online at the Texas Secretary of State’s website.
“It’s a lot faster and they can mail it in to us,” she said.
Students who do not know whether they are registered to vote can check their status online.
Voting participation is a civic duty and a right that plays a crucial role in our country’s foundation.
“The rights and protections American citizens enjoy must be vigorously defended. Voting is one way citizens can defend their rights and liberties,” Suthammanont said.
Americans have fought hard to earn that right and missing the registration deadline shouldn’t be anyone’s reason for not voting in the November election.
Concerns about Texas’ controversial voter ID law, SB 14, should not be a concern for students, at least for now.
On Aug. 30, a D.C. federal court struck down the bill which required that citizens show a photo ID before casting a ballot. The three-judge federal panel ruled that voters in Texas are not required to show a photo ID to vote.
“If anyone was concerned about securing a photo identification, they need not be,” Suthammanont said.
