Published: September 30, 2006 02:12 pm            

Voter rolls spike

Texas State students signing up by the thousands

San Marcos — With 10 days left for residents to register to vote in time to cast a ballot in the Nov. 7 election, a campaign aimed at university students is driving a spike in Hays County voter rolls.

On Friday, 82,925 residents were registered to vote countywide, up from 79,681 on Aug. 1, Elections Administrator Joyce Cowan said. Of the 3,244 added in two months, many are students signed up as part of a campaign orchestrated by the Texas State University Associated Student Government to increase the university community’s clout in local politics.

“We just want to make students aware of the issues and aware that they can have an impact in the community we live in,” Associated Student Government President Kyle V. Morris said. “Really, in the long run, this is about trying to build good citizens. We want students to know that they don’t have to live here for four years and then leave. They can stay and be a part of the community.”

Oct. 10 is the last day to register in time to vote in the election, which will decide city, county, state and federal offices. Early voting starts Oct. 23.

For weeks, an army of volunteers has been registering students just about anywhere students can be found: the campus Quad, football games and in fraternity and sorority houses across town. One program trains residential assistants to reach students who live in residence halls. Another targets apartment complexes. And this week, Cowan swore in 32 student senators as voter registrars.

The drive has registered at least 3,000 students so far with the goal of 2,000 more by the Oct. 10 deadline, said political consultant and student Sam McCabe, who coordinates the efforts as the ASG’s official “voter registration czar.” That’s in addition to the 3,000 or so registered last year as part of former student body vice president Chris Jones’ successful city council bid, which McCabe managed.

“The biggest problem we’re dealing with is finding students who haven’t already registered. We registered a lot of these people last year and there’s definitely a limited pool of potential voters you’re dealing with,” McCabe said.

Of course, getting students to fill out an index card-sized registration form and getting to them to the polls are two entirely different things. Of the 27,503 students enrolled this semester, McCabe projects 1,200-1,500 will cast ballots.

“There might possibly be 2,000. If we get, 2,500, I will be very surprised,” he said.

City council members this year added a host of new early voting locations, which has in past municipal elections been held at City Hall and the LBJ Student Center.

This time around, early voting days will be held at the activity center, library, Old Mill Station, Mariposa Apartments, Central Texas Medical Center and the Grande Communications building.

For information, or to register, call the city clerk’s office at 393-8090 or the county elections office at 393-7310.

        

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