By Tripp Henderson | Staff Writer
Midterm elections are just around the corner, and Americans all across the country will be casting their ballot. To help students make their voices heard through their vote, Baylor Ambassadors, in collaboration with Student Government and over 10 student organizations, will host a free voter registration drive Tuesday and Sept. 30.
On both days, tables will be set up from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at various locations across campus, including Moody Library, Fountain Mall, Cashion Academic Center lobby and the Baylor Sciences Building lobby.
President of Baylor Ambassadors and McKinney senior Josh Staz, who has played a key role in organizing the drive, said voting is a great opportunity and “not something we should take for granted.”
“We have such a great opportunity to have the freedoms and the liberties that we do to be able to vote and engage in the civic process,” Staz said.
At each table, two volunteers from a Greek Life or other student organization will be present to help students fill out the voter registration form, along with an elections official deputized by McLennan County to oversee the process.
The registration process is simple.
A student approaches the table, and a volunteer hands them a form with both English and Spanish sides. After completion, the student will take a registration receipt, and the Baylor Ambassadors will take all of the forms to the county office, where election staff will process them before early voting on Oct. 19.
“The students shouldn’t have to do anything other than fill out the form and take their receipt,” Staz said.
If any problems arise when students go to vote, Staz said the registration receipt will act as a “form of accountability.”
Staz said it is important to note that once students register to vote at a table, they can only vote in McLennan County. Students previously registered in a different county will lose eligibility to vote in that county, but can change their registration back before the next election.
Argyle freshman Gage Prepula said he plans to update his voter registration from Denton County to McLennan County at the drive.
“I think it is an amazing thing that the student organizations are putting on,” Prepula said. “I think everyone should take advantage of the opportunity.”
Staz said it is important for students to be involved civically because “there [are] things that we have experience in that other generations might not have … that we can really provide a unique perspective on.”
He gave artificial intelligence as an example.
“I think we have a great front row seat into AI and how that is being implemented, and how that plays a role in our everyday lives and education,” Staz said. “That’s something I think that we can weigh in on pretty powerfully because we are living through [it].”
