By Claire Cameron
Reporter
Student government voted unanimously to pass the Voter Registration Act in Baylor Student Senate Thursday night. The bill will encourage voter registration and student participation in elections.
Bushland senior Trenton Garza, a member of Student Senate, was the author of the bill.
“This bill backs public knowledge,” Garza said.
According to the bill presented in Senate, only about 3,000 students voted in the 2012 general election.
“There is a substantial gap of students not able to contribute their voice,” Garza said.
The purpose of the bill is to generate support for National Voter Registration Day, which will take place Sept. 24. The bill will make resources more accessible to students. These resources include information on the requirements needed to register, where and how to register and how to vote.
Voter requirements include having a voter registration card and driver’s license.
With this bill, student government will be able to reach out to students and help them with any voting questions they may have.
“We need to take up this task and do what we are responsible to do,” Garza said.
“It is important that we are able to help students and make these resources more available to them.”
It will also work as a way to promote student participation in elections.
According to the bill, “student government will partake in the national Voter Registration Day making voter registration readily accessible to all eligible students who wish to register and informing students of Texas voting laws and upcoming elections.”
Garza said it was the job of the student government to show students the importance of voter participation even on non-general election years.
The bill will help pass along knowledge about how to register and how to vote through emails to the entire student body.
“It is important that students know and participate,” Garza said.
