State elections are being held across the nation today, with many college students voting for the first time.
At Texas Tech University, students who are registered to vote in Lubbock County can vote at the library. Voting closes at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Voters must bring photo identification with them, such as a driver’s license or passport. Student identification cards will not be accepted.
Here are some of the big names and issues in the Texas election. All seven executive offices in Texas are up for grabs.
Governor
Although there are four candidates running for governor, the real race is between Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) and Texas State Senator Wendy Davis (D). This is the first time since 2000 current Governor Rick Perry has not run for re-election, so this has been an important race.
According to an opinion poll by the Huffington Post, Abbott is favored to win the race tonight.
For more information on each candidate, check out our previous post about early voting.
Senator
Incumbent John Cornyn, R-Texas, is running for re-election again against three other candidates. Cornyn has a history of criticizing the Obama administration and being a conservative member of the United States Senate.
David Alameel, D-Texas, is Cornyn’s main rival, but he has received little media attention.
Currently, Cornyn is favored to win the senate seat.
At the national level, the Republicans are favored to take over the Senate, which could unite the legislature.
District 19 United States Representative
Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas, has been the representative for Texas District 19, which includes Lubbock, for 10 years. Watch our interview with him here.
Neal Marchbanks, D-Texas, is a Texas Tech alumnus who is new to the political arena.
More Information
Make sure to check out the other Texas executive races in the election: lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, land commissioner, and agricultural commissioner. There are also Texas Supreme Court seats in the running.
Look at a sample ballot before hitting the polls here!
Also, The Texas Tribune broke down the election into an interactive graphic that shows who is running in each category, basic information about the each candidate, and how many votes they received during the primaries.
The Outpost, will track the election via social media throughout the day.
This is where the results of the statewide races will be posted.
About Sarah Self-Walbrick
