Registering to vote takes planning; believing individual votes matter is an even bigger ask for young people. Zach Leonard, the vice president of advocacy for the Fort Worth Independent School District Council of Parent-Teacher Associations, is working to convince young Texans that their votes matter.
Leonard sees several reasons why it can be challenging for young people to vote. One significant barrier is the advanced planning that is required. The deadline to register to vote for the upcoming statewide elections was Monday, Oct. 5. That means students who planned to vote during the early voting period or on Election Day needed to register weeks in advance.
“If they didn’t make that choice on Oct. 5 at the latest, then they can’t make that choice [to vote] on Nov. 3,” Leonard said.
Leonard also said a considerable number of newly eligible voters feel that their voices don’t actually matter and that their votes won’t make a difference. Leonard believes that if an issue is truly important to someone, they should vote for a candidate who is going to stand behind that issue “whether they are likely to win or not.”
Map of Tarrant County election voting locations.(Courtesy of Tarrant County)
Despite these challenges, there have been signs of progress.
Texas was the first state in the U.S. to offer in-person early voting in the 1980s. Today, Texans are taking advantage of early voting, which offers greater flexibility. During the March primaries, the state saw record turnout among Democrats, as well as an increase in early voting among Republicans, according to data from the Texas secretary of state’s office.
Several resources are available to help voters participate in early voting. The Tarrant County website, TarrantCountyTX.gov, provides election information under its “Elections” tab, including an interactive map of early voting locations and current wait times.
Early voting runs from Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 30. Registered voters can vote at any Tarrant County location from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.