By Fallon Head | Web Editor
It’s easy to dismiss elections, especially the smaller ones. Voting is regularly inconvenient, rarely straightforward and every ballot seems to be drenched in roles, propositions and names.
With the added cynicism that one vote will just get drowned out anyway, the idea of using the limited time, energy and effort of a day to go fill out a form seems ridiculous.
The problem is that in long lists and situations of information overload, important decisions are being made, yet most people aren’t volunteering their opinions when asked directly.
According to the Texas Secretary of State, the turnout among registered voters in last year’s election was 61.15%. In the 2023 election, only 14.43% of registered voters cast a ballot. That’s a 46.72% difference between the two years.
Just 14.43% of Texas citizens are deciding matters for the entire state. That would be similar to a professor asking a class what quiz grade they want dropped, and in a class of 50 students, only seven students chose which quiz.
Additionally, in smaller elections because of lower numbers, one vote carries more weight. According to statista.com, there were around 174 million registered voters in the U.S. in 2024, but Texas only had 18.6 million registered voters as of Oct. 19, 2024, according to the Texas Secretary of State.
Texas makes up 10.69% of the U.S.’ registered voters. That makes one vote in a state election 9.35 times more impactful in a Texas election than it is in a national one. And that’s assuming all registered voters in Texas vote, which, as previously mentioned, never happens. So in reality, it’s even more powerful.
Even with Texas’s voting map redistricted, which can make people feel it doesn’t matter because of the way districts are designed to try to force a certain result, the data is still there. The overall numbers still matter, if only as a way to show the overall opinion and individual opinions later on.
Democracy relies on people showing up and voting. According to McLennan County, early voting in Waco starts on Oct. 20, with Election Day across the country on Nov. 4.
Just because most of the state isn’t voting for any national representatives does not mean this election isn’t important. This election includes voting on 17 statewide propositions on tax cuts, infrastructure funding and parental rights. All of the propositions can significantly affect people throughout Texas.
Voting is how everyday citizens share their opinion with their governments. Every election, whether or not it goes the way you voted, your opinion is recorded and heard through that ballot. By passing up the right to vote, you’re waving your ability to tell lawmakers how you feel on a specific law or a representative’s work.
So many important decisions get overlooked by people during the years that aren’t national elections. Staying informed and acting on it is exhausting, but choosing to stop paying attention and refusing to have any impact on policy is how our system falls apart.
Similar to how respect and relationships require work from both ends. If we want support, representation and protection from our state and nation, we have to take the time to communicate. Voting is the first step in that.
Doing the research, showing up and voicing individual opinions matter — every time.
