Libraries are America’s most democratic institutions. Perhaps this is why librarians at Sul Ross have become so involved in getting out the #LobosWhoVote campaign here on campus. Librarians here, along with members of our SRSU Student Government Association, additional student groups, as well as faculty in SRSU’s Political Science and Languages and Literature Departments have become Deputy Voter Registrars in increasing numbers in the past few years.
On National Voter Registration Day on September 24, held the fourth Tuesday each September, we registered 12 people to vote. If 12 people does not seem like a lot to you, ask yourself if you’ve voted in the most recent election, and then ask yourself if you know anybody who needs to get registered! And then remind yourself that every vote counts. (Do you need to know if you’re registered? Check out the Texas Secretary of State’s “Am I Registered?” service here.)
Admittedly, keeping up to date with registering and elections is not the easiest thing in the world. But there are many resources and people to help you along the way. All of the most accurate and up-to-date information about registering to vote in Texas can be found at votetexas.gov.
The deadline to get registered to vote for the following election (November 5, 2019) was yesterday, Monday, October 7, 2019. So why are we sharing this now? It’s never a bad time to remember to engage in the democratic process.
I’m not registered yet. Now what?
You won’t be able to vote in the November 5, 2019 election (unless you fall under special circumstances outlined by votetexas.gov above), but why not go ahead and get registered now anyway so that you can be prepared for the next election?
Woohoo! I’m registered to vote! Now what?
If you’re registered and wondering what to do now, take a minute to do some research (#librarylove) and figure out what the upcoming election is all about. We can start by telling you about a few non-partisan election resources for Texas and our local community:
- Brewster County Elections Information – available in English and Spanish
- League of Women Voters of Texas Voters Guide for November 5, 2019 election – available in English and Spanish
- VoteTexas.gov additional election resources for students – Did you know you can work as an election worker?
- Vote411.org
- Ballotpedia.org, Information about elections in Texas
Need more help? Ask a librarian!
