By Leslie Pantoja, Hub Editor
The presidential election is quickly approaching and residents of Lubbock county, including college students, have until October 7, to register to vote.
As of 2023, the adult population in Lubbock county was around 77% of the total county population with 21% of those voters being between the ages of 18-24, according to the United States Census Bureau.
Students who are now old enough to vote will get the chance to cast their ballots regarding issues of the economy, health care, Supreme Court appointments, and foreign policy – the top topics in this year’s presidential election, according to Pew Research Center – and more.
Beto O’Rourke, former congressman and current founder and leader of the Powered by People movement, made a stop at Texas Tech as a part of his Ready to Vote Tour, which aims to help as many college students get registered to vote as possible.
“The great power that students have, these 18, 19, 20-year-olds who are just getting registered for the first time, is that no one sees them coming,” O’Rourke said. “No one expects them to participate in this election and they have a chance to prove everyone wrong.”
He added that it is not about whether you vote for a Republican or Democrat, but about democracy in general.
“The issue is whether or not you have faith in this democracy to be the most effective way of governing ourselves and pursuing a future that fits with your values, that’s gonna be good for you and your family, and perhaps most importantly, that’s gonna be good for the people who live in this country.”
Elections administrator, Roxzine Stinson, stated that 195,364 Lubbock County residents were registered to vote as of August 2024.
In order to verify a voter’s registration in the state of Texas, they will need to go to the votetexas.gov website. The voter will be prompted to enter a combination of either their voter unique identifier (VUID) and date of birth (DOB); their Texas driver’s license number (TDL) and DOB; or their name, county and DOB. If registered correctly, all information of the Texan should be accurate, and their voter classification will be labeled as active.
If the Texan is not registered to vote, a new application will need to be submitted through the same website used to verify registration. Citizens looking to be registered to vote can follow a link that will take them to the application which will need to be printed, filled out and then mailed to the address listed on the application.
The deadline to register is Oct. 7 and mailed applications will be valid as long as the posted date is not marked any later.
The aspiring Lubbock voter may also visit the election office, located at 1308 Crickets Ave., to get registered in person.
College students that are registered to vote under a different county or have changed their Lubbock address, will need to file a change of address through the usa.gov website in order to vote in the county of Lubbock. The address must be located in Lubbock County and can be the resident hall in which the student is currently living and does not need to match their ID address.
If a student from a different county would like to remain registered with their hometown county, to vote in that county’s local elections, they can either drive home to place their vote or place a limited or mail-in ballot.
A limited ballot procedure is only available during the early voting period, which is Monday, October 21 through Friday, November 1, for the November 5, election, according to the website of Jane Nelson, the Texas Secretary of State.
Stinson explained what the process is like for Lubbock County, stating that if a voter is registered or on suspense in another county in Texas, they can come to the elections office to vote on a limited ballot. They will be open during early voting from 8am-8pm on weekdays and Saturdays and 12pm-6pm on Sundays. They must have a photo ID and fill out an application for a limited ballot.
She added that the process only takes about 30 minutes from beginning to end and these voters will get the chance to vote on any federal and state offices that are the same between the two counties including the three federal races and numerous state offices this election. However, local races will be excluded.
Voters can see what will be on the ballot on Nov. 5, by entering their address through the Texas Tribune website.
For students choosing to place a mail-in ballot, the Texas Secretary of State’s website provides the instructions as well as the link needed to request a ballot by mail from their home county. This application must be returned to their home county by Oct. 25.
College students who are registered in another state will need to file as a new applicant to vote while in Texas.
Once a citizen is officially registered, they will receive their voter registration card in the mail which proves they have been through the process.
Students may also register to vote through someone who is a certified volunteer deputy registrar (VDR).
A VDR is able to officially register voters in the State of Texas. VDRs are appointed by county voter registrars and charged with helping increase voter registration in the state, according to the Texas Secretary of State.
Cyndie Buckle, an advertising lecturer at Texas Tech as well as a certified VDR, encourages students to not only register, but also show up and vote.
“It’s one thing to register, but if you register and do nothing, well that’s not the point,” Buckle said.
Buckle has helped over 150 students get registered to vote as well as completing change of addresses when needed this fall semester. All a student needs to do is fill out a form with all their correct information and Buckle drops it off at the elections county office so their registration can be processed.
Buckle added how convenient voting is in Lubbock County due to the fact that it is under open-polling, which means that voters are not tied by district or precinct to a specific polling location, but rather they can cast their vote at any open poll.
She encourages all students to get out and vote.
“I understand why it’s hard to keep up,” Buckle said, “but I would just encourage them to take a minute and listen to what is going on around them, because it may not affect you right now but it will eventually affect you.”
Once a Texas citizen is registered to vote, they will be able to cast an official vote during the 12 day early voting period and on Election Day through the method most accessible to them.
A voter will need to bring one of the seven acceptable forms of ID to vote in-person. Those forms are a photo ID, a TDL, U.S. passport, U.S. citizen certificate, Texas handgun license, Texas personal ID card, Texas election ID card, or U.S military ID card.
If a voter does not possess any of these photo IDS but meets the criteria needed to legally vote in the state of Texas, the votetexas.gov website has the details for how a ballot can still be cast.
Beto O’Rourke stated that Texas unfortunately is one of the toughest states in the nation to vote in and to overcome forms of voter suppression, he advises students to get registered to vote before the deadline, to double-check that they are registered to vote, and to bring a buddy when casting their ballot so it is not as intimidating.
He added that these obstacles should not discourage first-time voters because their voice matters.
“Your vote in these close elections might very well decide the future of this state,” O’Rourke said. “So I would just encourage anyone who has any doubts about whether their vote has any power to take that chance, to cast that ballot, and to continue to have faith in this democracy because as imperfect as it is, it’s the best thing going in the greatest country the world has ever known and the only way it stays that way is if all of us do our part.”
Students can vote on-campus at the Texas Tech Student Recreation Center during early voting and at the Student Union Building on Election Day.
More voting center locations for early voters and Election Day voters can be found on the Lubbock County Elections Office website.
For international students that will inevitably be affected by the election results and want to help support the movement but are not legally able to vote, O’Rourke says they can help by spreading the word on their social platforms.
“Politics at the end of the day is people talking to and hopefully listening to other people and together finding some common ground and a path forward,” O’Rourke said. “International students can be part of that process for sure, they just can’t vote.”
For more resources use The Secretary of State’s Office helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) to reach state attorneys available to assist voters and election officials with questions or visit the Lubbock County Elections Office website.
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