Push is on for voter registration
With a contentious midterm election coming up in November, voter registration drives are in full swing. National Voter Registration Day, scheduled for Tuesday, will see organizations from across the country take to the streets and social media to raise awareness of voter registration procedures and opportunities. The National Association of Secretaries of State and National Association of State Election Directors have endorsed the day of action.
Locally, registration has not seen a large jump, but Hays County Elections Administrator Jennifer Anderson said that could change as more registration forms come in before Oct. 9, which is the deadline to register for the Nov. 6 election.
“We’re up probably about 4,000 from the primary right now,” she said. “We expect we’ll continue to get a lot in.”
Anderson said she is expecting at least 130,000 registered voters for the midterm; Hays County had 122,000 registered voters for the primary election this past spring. Voter information can be found on the county's website.
In an effort to increase voter registration opportunities, the San Marcos Public Library held an hour-long workshop to deputize volunteer voter registrars earlier this month. Thirty-five new voter registrars were deputized at the event, librarian Deborah Carter said. Steger’s Chiffonade provided free lunch, and the county elections office staff administered the test and oath at the end of the event.
“Great turnout,” Carter said. “The room was packed.”
Anderson said a similar program was held at San Marcos High School. The high school and San Marcos Academy both make voter registration available to eligible students.
The Hays County Republican Party and Hays County Democrats have also been working to get more voters registered.
“We have been registering voters all year, and at every event we have held during the campaign we have voter registrars available,” said Russell Hayter, chair of the Hays County Republican Party. “We field questions regarding updating voter registration almost every day by phone, email, Facebook or at our headquarters. If anyone needs to register, the last day is Oct. 9.”
Donna Haschke, chair of the Hays County Democrats, said they have been doing a lot of block walking and holding a lot of events throughout the county, including at Texas State University, to get people registered to vote.
“I guess we’re doing voter registration everywhere we go,” she said. “I don’t know where we’re not registering voters.”
Haschke said that many people have moved to Hays County recently who might not know that they need to register to vote at their new addresses, including people who have moved here from Travis County.
“It’s an educational process as well,” she said, adding that the county Democrats will be holding more voter registration events and “hitting it hard and heavy between now and Oct. 9.”
Eligible Hays County residents will also have plenty of opportunities to register at libraries and other locations throughout the county, thanks to the League of Women Voters. Wimberley-area League member Susan Raybuck, the organization will register voters during events at Wimberley High School (Sept. 28), the libraries in Wimberley, San Marcos, Dripping Springs and Kyle (Oct. 9), and at the Alamo Drafthouse in New Braunfels (Sept. 28-30). The group also will give a presentation on the Texas State campus on Oct. 4 about voting.
An effort to encourage voting in swing districts across the country will focus on San Marcos for one day: Singer Jim James is starting his six-date “The Future is Voting” tour at Emo’s in Austin on Oct. 7 before coming to Texas State University on Oct. 9 for a students-only event. The tour will then go to Wisconsin, Georgia, Iowa and Illinois.
Texas State University spokesman Jayme Blaschke said that student government takes the lead in organizing registration drives and encouraging students to vote. A message from Student Government President Ruben Becerra Jr. went out through the Dean of Students office stating the university’s encouragement of “all Bobcats, regardless of political affiliation, to participate in the electoral process and let your voices be heard.”
The message states that voter registration cards will be available at all residence hall front desks, the Student Government office and the office of the attorney for students. Texas State students can find voting information on Texas State's website.
