Students, consider becoming a volunteer deputy registrar

According to a 2022 survey by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), 21% of young adults between the ages of 18-29 who did not register to vote either missed the deadline, didn’t know how to register, or had trouble with the registration process.

By becoming a Volunteer Deputy Registrar (VDR), students on campus can help reverse the decades-long trend of low youth voter turnout. VDRs are members of the public who are certified to register citizens to vote. Texas residents who are U.S. citizens above the age of 18 can apply to become a VDR for free by visiting their county website.

As VDRs, students can help more young people on campus register to vote and gain valuable information about the voting process in Texas, which they can share with their friends and classmates.

Scott Poole, VDR and president of TX Votes, a student organization on campus, said that VDRs are at the heart of voter registration efforts in Texas.

“The easiest way for people to get registered to vote at their convenience is interacting with a VDR,” said government junior Poole. “(VDRs) are able to register their friends to vote, they’re able to register their peers to vote, (and) they’re able to register strangers to vote.”

Biology junior Libby McTaggart said that becoming a VDR in Travis County has allowed her to help hundreds of students on campus through the voter registration process.

“You watch a video to get oriented, and then you take a quiz that makes sure you know what to do,” McTaggart said. “I became a VDR the beginning of my freshman year.”

Not only does becoming a VDR allow a student to register voters in their county, the training process also equips them to serve as a valuable source of information for those who want to know more about voting.

“The VDR training process makes people more aware of … information that they might not otherwise know without training,” Poole said. “People are going to talk about (voting) with their friends or their family, and that increases turnout rate.”

As one of the largest universities in the nation with over 50,000 students, there are countless students arriving on campus every year, many of whom are not yet registered to vote. With more students certified as VDRs, UT can help increase youth voter registration numbers and improve voter education on campus.

Students who become Volunteer Deputy Registrars can register new voters in classrooms or on Speedway, answer their peers’ questions about voting or even participate in larger campus voter registration efforts through organizations like Hook the Vote, TX Votes and Texas Rising.

As we approach the 2024 election cycle, it’s crucial that eligible voters on campus are ready to cast their ballots. By sparing just a few hours from your week to become VDR certified, you can become part of the movement to get more young people to the polls.

Mehta is a business and Plan II sophomore from Frisco, Texas.