WACO, TX — Texas voter registration is down from years past and many groups around Central Texas are working hard to bring those numbers up, and get qualified voters registered for the November election.
In a study from the Center of Election Innovation and Research, Texas saw an overall 24% drop in registered voters compared to 2016. In April alone, there was a 70% drop in new voter registrations.
A hot spot for new registered voters is on college campuses, and with some choosing to do online learning, there aren't as many on campus this year to register.
Nevertheless, multiple Baylor student groups are determined to get their classmates registered and out to the polls.
"It's great to see our students care so much about their fellow students and want to get them involved in the process. It's great to see our students stepping up and leading," Doriann Beverly said, Senior Coordinator for Community Service.
With the pandemic, Wake Up Temple has also been strategic to get those who are worried to be outside to register. They have decided a mobile registration van would do the trick.
"We're finding that people aren't coming so much to us so we're going to remove that barrier and come to them," Terris Goodwin said, Founder of Wake Up Temple.
They also have Spanish speaking Volunteer Deputy Registrars (VDR) so they can also work to increase the Hispanic vote.
"We have to actually go out there and vote so that these politicians, these candidates then have a choice to listen to us or lose our vote to someone who will," Rojelio Osorio said, Volunteer VDR.
Although, getting those to register is only half the battle. In a National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE) for college students in 2018, 73.4% were registered to vote but only 54.9% actually cast a ballot.
With the Hispanic Vote, according to Latino Decisions, in 2012 out of all registered Hispanic voters in Texas only 48% of them showed up to the polls to vote.
"It doesn't matter if you 18 and voting for the first time, it doesn't matter if your 80 and voting for the first time. Take advantage of that opportunity," Beverly said.
The important thing to remember is that if you are registered to vote, you need to because your voice matters.
"So just take the excuses away, we're trying to help remove the barriers and just get it done," Goodwin said.
Baylor University also pledged to the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, meaning they are working to get 100% of their eligible students registered and see that same 100% at the polls to vote.
In 2018, Baylor had 80% of registered students and only 31% voted, in a study conducted by NSLVE.
