By Joana Karoshi & Beckett Rakes | Staff Writers, Tierra Varela | LTVN Broadcast Reporter
Baylor students could cast ballots at the Hurd Welcome Center Tuesday, where an on-campus polling location offered a convenient way to participate in a midterm election with major implications for Texas and the nation.
LTVN’s Tierra Varela was outside the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center with more.
The election features a closely watched U.S. Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. The contest, which could help determine control of the Senate, has become the most expensive nonpresidential race in U.S. history, with approximately $573 million in advertising spending.
The Hurd became a voting location on Nov. 7, 2023. For students balancing classes, midterms and other responsibilities, an on-campus polling location offered a chance to vote without traveling elsewhere.
Fort Worth sophomore Luc Nguyen said having a polling location in the Hurd made it easier to fit voting into his midterm schedule.
“Everyone’s busy, so the fact that we had a polling location right here in the Hurd is a very big reason why I’m here today,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen said he also wanted to participate in an election beyond presidential races, noting that many people tend to vote only when a major election is taking place.
He said on-campus polling locations are particularly important for students who do not have reliable access to transportation.
“Not everyone has the same access to transportation,” Nguyen said. “Having a location on campus where a student can say in between classes … to go out to vote and then come back is very important.”
San Antonio senior Shay Wiseman said she has become more interested in politics as graduation approaches and she begins thinking about life after college.
“Since I’m graduating soon, I’m like, ‘OK, I’m going to be on my own in a little bit, and I gotta start thinking about my future,’” Wiseman said.
Wiseman said she wanted to have a say in what the future would look like and felt voting was a way to make her voice heard.
Wiseman, who was voting for the second time, said she believes universities have an important role in making voting accessible to students.
“I think it’s so important because it’s very accessible,” Wiseman said.
Katy senior Mari Allen said the current political climate and its effects influenced her decision to vote.
“I feel like it is kind of our duty as citizens to help others,” Allen said.
Allen specifically identified abortion rights and immigration as issues that influenced her decision. She also said having a polling location on campus made voting easier, particularly for students unfamiliar with the surrounding area or without transportation.
“It’s just a simpler way, and it’s more accessible,” Allen said.
Olivia Thompson, a program manager for Baylor’s academic resources, also highlighted the importance of providing students with access to an on-campus polling location.
Thompson said having a polling place on campus removes a potential transportation barrier for students who might otherwise have to travel elsewhere to vote.
“It removes a barrier for their students who maybe don’t have transportation to go off-campus,” Thompson said.
For Wiseman, voting is also an opportunity to have a say in the future she will soon enter after graduating.
“It’s important to have my voice be heard,” Wiseman said.
