Texas Campus Compact Urges Students to
Make Sure Their Voices Count

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Campus Compact (The Compact) reminds students that the only way for their voices to count in this climate of political change is to register to vote by the deadline of October 6, 2008 or, if already registered, vote at their designated polling location on Election Day or cast an absentee ballot by mail.

Many college students are completing their studies miles away from home and can be caught by surprise on Election Day, only to find out that they are not registered or unable to vote due to voting restrictions limiting voting to the county of residence. The Compact urges students to become familiar Texas voting laws to ensure that their vote counts.

By Texas law you must vote in the county of your residence. Which means that if a student is registered to vote in their hometown of Midland, yet they are attending UT Austin, they would not be able to vote in Austin; they would need to return to the Midland area to vote. There are two options for students in this situation: they can re-register to vote in the county where they attend school, or they can request a ballot by mail. The Texas Secretary of State office provides registration and ballot by mail forms on their website at: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/. Students can also use this site to check on their current voter registration status to verify whether they are registered to vote and in which county.

In order to cast a ballot by mail, individuals must be registered to vote by the October 6 deadline, send in a request to have a ballot mailed to their current address, and must mail in their ballot with enough time to ensure that the county clerk receives it by 7 p.m. on election day.

Another law for students to be aware of has come to light in several chain emails recently. The emails state that Senator McCain’s campaign is hoping that overzealous supporters of Senator Obama will wear their buttons, shirts and stickers in support of their candidate which will result in them being banned from the polls. The email goes on to state that they are counting on these young supporters to be discouraged enough not to return to the polls after changing clothes.

Many have dismissed these emails as scare tactics; however they are based in actual Texas law. The law states:

§ 61.010. WEARING NAME TAG OR BADGE IN POLLING PLACE.
(a) a person may not wear a badge, insignia, emblem, or other similar communicative device relating to a candidate, measure, or political party appearing on the ballot, or to the conduct of the election, in the polling place or within 100 feet of any outside door through which a voter may enter the building in which the polling place is located.

Which means that campaigning of any kind, even passive campaigning such as a t-shirt or button, is not allowed inside 100 feet of a polling location. Students, regardless of who they are voting for, need to be aware of this aspect of the law. They will need to remove or cover any mention of candidates from their clothing and bags before entering the polling area.

The Compact is a leader in building civic engagement into campus and academic life in Texas. As the next generation of leaders and citizens, young people are a powerful force in today's political scene. Democracy is a two way street: today's youth have the responsibility to educate themselves and participate in our democracy; and also has the right to be heard and respected by elected officials and candidates.

The Compact encourages higher education institutions to help educate and empower students and to make the process of staying engaged easier throughout the sometimes confusing election season. Find out more about Texas Campus Compact online at www.TexasCampusCompact.org.