Texan Mosaic

Story & Photos By Raenell Villamor

With Super Tuesday over, in less than nine months the fate of the country will balance on millions of pieces of paper.

In other words, ballots.

However, with such a short time frame left for any candidate to leave a mark on voters, the pressure builds for students at South Plains College to decide whether to vote at all.   And if so, how to vote and whom to vote for.

According to an informal poll offered to 30 students at the SPC Lubbock Downtown Center on Feb. 14, 13 said they did not know yet who to vote for on Election Day.

Those results did not shock Drew Landry, assistant professor of government, at SPC.

“To those who are college-aged, voting – for most of them – is not a priority,” Landry said. “So, time dedicated is not usually high.”

Landry knows his way around politics. He’s been teaching Government for almost 14 years across the United States and ran for the Texas State Legislature in 2018 under the Democratic Party. He lost to Dustin Burrows.

“It would’ve been nice to have won,” Landry admitted. “But that wasn’t going to happen.”

With this November’s election on the way, voters have a bit of homework to do before they head to the polls.

Landry’s advice? Do your research.

“It’s 100% subjective,” he says. “And that’s going to be wholeheartedly on you.”

USA.gov, the official website of the U.S. government, states that using voter guides and sample ballots could potentially be key to making decisions.

Voter guides give voters basic information on specific candidates and lists topics such as their experience, goals and issues they personally stand for or against.

Sample ballots, while long, show candidates and measures that are on the ballot.

Why is the ballot so long?

“We elect almost everyone in this state,” Landry reasons. “In the executive branch, the government appoints others, but we elect almost everyone.”

Landry lists every possible electable position in the state of Texas, which covers the Senate, State Legislature, down to the Railroad Commissioner.

Despite its name, that position, Landry notes, covers the regulation of oil and natural gas in Texas.

“They don’t deal with the choo-choos anymore,” he laughed. “They used to, but not anymore.”

However, deciding who to vote for in November is only the tip of the iceberg.

Out of 30 students surveyed in the Lubbock Downtown Center campus, 20 said they were registered to vote. Another eight said they were not, and two couldn’t remember.

If students plan to vote on any of the SPC campuses they can register to vote using their dormitory address, Landry says.

To check if you are registered, you can use the My Voter Portal, a website run by the Texas Secretary of State.

Typing in a name, zip code, and birthday will not only show a voter if they are registered to vote but will present the person a list of upcoming elections and where the person can vote as well.

Landry notes, however, that the registration window will close a month prior to any election in Texas.

According to VoteTexas.gov, to register to vote, a voter could follow one of three routes on its website. Those include completing an “SOS Online Voter Registration Application” and submitting it to the county election office, requesting a printed application, or contacting a voter registrar.

The next step, according to Landry, is to know some of the logistics before heading to the polls.

“You gotta have your photo ID available,” Landry says. He continues by listing questions to ask yourself, to be prepared.

 “Do you know when the polls are open?” Landry asked. “Do you know where to vote? Do you know how long the polls are open?”

Landry adds, you can vote earlier than Election Day.

“You know, Texas has a near two-week early voting window before the Election Day,” he says. “And that’s where most Texans like to cast their ballot, during that two-week period.”

A voter could also vote absentee.

 According to the students surveyed at the SPC Lubbock Downtown campus, 16 out of 30 students didn’t know if they were going to vote absentee.

If a student wishes to vote absentee or vote by mail, according to VoteTexas.gov,  the voter must follow a strict set of rules.

They must contact a county office holding elections, provide an identification number through a form of identifying documents (such as a driver’s license or Social Security Card), and fill out and mail an application addressed to the Early Voting Clerk within an applicant’s county.

The year 2020 saw record voter turnout rates across the nation, according to the United States Census Bureau.

However, for 2024, Landry says that momentum seems to be slowing down.

“There is an apathetic attitude among all voters,” Landry stated. “And this translates to the national trend.”

A quick Google search further supports his claim.

 For instance, a Harvard Youth Poll conducted in the fall of 2023, found that on average, younger voters were predicted to be less likely to participate in the 2024 election than the 2020 election. The poll reasoned that the choices of candidates and flaws within the government were the biggest factors for why younger voters were choosing to opt out of the upcoming election.

Landry emphasized if the percentage of young people who voted went up to 30 or 35%, it would “stun” everybody and make a dramatic change.

“Like what?” he said. “And then you’d see a tremendous turn from caring about Medicare and Social Security to ‘let’s see what these young people want.’” Issues such as education, reproductive issues, and narcotics could get an increase in attention by getting more involved in government, Landry says.

“You say, ‘Hey, I want a place with a good economy. I want my housing to be low.  I want leaders who talk to my issues,’” Landry says. “You show that by going to vote.  You show that by getting involved.”

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