With an almost 50% margin of victory for Democrats, Travis County isn’t exactly a political battleground. If you’re a Democrat, your candidate will win whether you vote or not. If you’re a Republican, your candidate will lose no matter what. Save for some massive political realignment, this cycle is doomed to repeat itself, leaving voters unenthusiastic about their impact on the democratic process. But, for college students, there is a way to make your vote count for November: by going home to vote.
By legally residing at two addresses, students are in a unique position to choose where they want to make an impact. Government junior Mario Perez talked about why he chose to register in Travis County instead of back home in Del Rio.
“I’m more involved in the political scheme here in Austin than (at home) in Del Rio, Texas, and I feel like in Austin (my vote) affects a whole lot more people,” Perez said while handing out Kirk Watson fliers outside of the Texas Union. “Since I’ve already been doing work for people such as the mayor and some council members, I wanted to make my voice heard here.”
By choosing where to keep their registration, students could be the decider on issues that affect either their old or new communities, and some students believe this impact might be best made on campus.
“When (students) are living their lives right here in Austin, it’s these kinds of (local) policies that are going to be affecting them the most,” Perez said.
While Perez is correct, there are huge advantages to voting at home. Your vote can have a massive impact on competitive elections. With close races in multiple counties, now would be the perfect time to make the trek home and cast your ballot there. Fourth-year psychology major Teri Allison reflected on this potential when asked about her registration location.
“I think voting in Dallas would have more of an effect –– since I will be voting blue –– I would be able to turn Dallas more blue, whereas here, everyone’s voting blue anyway, so it’s not like I’m changing anything,” Allison said.
If even a few students voted at home, there could be a tremendous impact. An election in Forney, Texas that came down to a singular vote proved this. If one of the 300 UT-interested students from Forney voted, the race could have flipped in another direction completely.
Allison discussed why so many students prefer to vote in Austin, mentioning the impact of volunteer voter registrars on campus.
“I had never registered to vote in Dallas,” Allison said. “I turned 18 here, and there were so many people on campus signing up to vote that I just registered on campus because it was very accessible.”
When deciding where to register, students need to consider two things: how much they want to make an impact and who they’re voting for. If students plan on living here long-term, voting in Austin could be the right choice. If not, instead of shaping a place they will only stay in for four years, students can shape the communities they came from by electing people that they believe will improve their home. And have an excuse to see their family too.
Oppenheimer is an economics sophomore from Flower Mound, Texas.
