“College students in South Texas accuse Democratic county officials of blocking their votes” was originally published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs and engages Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

McALLEN — Rodolfo Rendon De Hoyos was disappointed that his South Texas college campus was not chosen to host the early voting site.

Now, a student organizer at Texas A&M International University in Laredo is demanding answers from Webb County officials.

De Hoyos and a group of students on Tuesday called on Webb County officials to reinstate the university as a polling place during early voting, accusing them of blocking student votes simply because there was a polling place there on Election Day.

Webb County officials said the decision not to establish an early voting center at the university was agreed by both political parties and many county officials and was influenced by data and logistical concerns. Early voting ends on Friday, making the student’s request for the 2024 elections moot. But county officials have signaled openness to reconsidering the campus as an early voting location in the upcoming election.

Still, the shooting was the latest clash over voting rights in Texas, especially on college campuses. Earlier this year, Tarrant County, which includes Fort Worth, discussed eliminating early voting sites on some college campuses. Plan — Republican party leaders say it’s an effort to help conservatives win – ultimately rejected. More broadly, state lawmakers spent significant time in 2023 Rewriting state laws that determine when and how early voting centers operate..

De Hoyos, 20, is a permanent resident and therefore cannot legally vote. His ineligibility motivates him to encourage those who have the right to vote.

As part of Early Voting Day, a movement started by MTV, Laredo college students teamed up with MOVE Texas, a nonprofit organization that works to promote civic engagement among youth communities, at a polling place about 5 miles from the university. Provided free shuttle transportation to the area. pop culture television network.

About half a dozen students attended; this accounts for a fraction of the total student population of approximately 8,500.

“To me, this is pretty ridiculous and extremely counterproductive to the concept of democracy,” TAMIU student Alexis Esparza said. “Why do we as a student organization have to go out and organize buses so people can go and vote?”

Esparza pointed to a Texas Tribune analysis that showed only that: In 2022, 50% of the state’s 36 public universities had an early voting location on campus. Only two of nine historically Black colleges and universities in Texas had early voting sites.

More than 95% of the population in Webb County identifies as Hispanic; This is a voting bloc that both Republicans and Democrats think is important to winning seats in South Texas.

TAMIU students argued that having a place on campus is essential for students who have busy class schedules, have to work long hours or live on campus.

“Essentially, taking away the closest polling place they might have is just putting a lot more barriers into their daily routine,” de Hoyos said.

Webb County Judge Tano E. Tijerina, a Democrat, said the county previously had a mobile voting site in TAMIU during early voting, but state lawmakers banned such temporary polling sites in 2019.

Tijerina added that there is not enough guest parking on campus and attendance is low. For Election Day, the county worked with the university to provide 15 designated parking spaces for voters.

“I’m trying to make this more accessible,” Tijerina said. “Why would we try to put pressure on it?”

Students had accused county officials of not voicing concerns about polling places at previous meetings. The judge, who serves as the county’s chief executive, said polling places were discussed twice at two public meetings, but students did not show up for either one.

Voting centers were not discussed at the meeting attended by students. And because the item wasn’t on the public agenda, county commissioners couldn’t discuss it.

Election Administrator Jose Luis Castillo said no single person decides on the selection of polling places throughout the county. He said his office consulted with party chairmen in the district and based their decisions on historical turnout data. The selections are then certified by the commissioners court.

For this reason, although the university was not elected this year, Castillo said that they will evaluate the place of the university in the next elections.

“I’ve already been to visit the site – that’s enough, we’ll reserve parking,” Castillo said.

Tijerina acknowledged that the county will likely use the space in the future, since the parking lot is prepared and Castillo seems happy with it.

Reporting in the Rio Grande Valley is provided in part by South Texas, Inc. Sponsored by Methodist Health Ministries.

Disclosure: MOVE Texas and Texas A&M International University are financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters have no role in the Tribune’s journalism. find full here is the list of them.

This article was first published on: Texas Tribune -most https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/30/texas-college-campus-voting-access/.

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