People walk outside during early voting Oct. 21 at the Tarrant County Sub-Courthouse in Arlington. Early voting ends Oct. 30.
Voter turnout in this year’s midterm election continues to surpass levels from 2022 and 2018.
Friday was the fifth day of early voting in the Texas midterm election, and 50,949 Tarrant County voters participated. Comparatively, the 2022 midterm election drew 29,652 voters on its fifth day; 2018 drew 38,904, according to data from the Tarrant County elections website.
The high countywide turnout comes amid the mobilization of campus student organizations. Throughout the week, various groups at UTA have provided rides and hosted marches encouraging other students to get to the polls.
“They’re not just showing up with their vote and their voice,” said Janet Mattern, president of the League of Women Voters of Tarrant County. “This is a way to visibly show that they aren’t going away. You can’t silence the student voters.”
A midterm election happens two years into a president’s four-year term. For Texans, this year’s ballot is composed of federal, state and local roles such as governor, U.S. Senate seats, state judges and county commissioners.
Biology senior Avian Hines Bell, president of the UTA Lambda Chi chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, helped organize a campus event in partnership with Student Government, Omega Psi Phi and Mount Olive Baptist Church, according to previous Shorthorn reporting.
The event provided a ride service to the nearest polling location for students, which is the Tarrant County Sub-Courthouse in Arlington on Abram Street.
During the first day, the service assisted over 30 students, according to previous Shorthorn reporting.
Hines Bell said the sense of hopelessness she felt from students regarding the Maverick Activities Center’s absence as a voting site led her and the other organizations to plan the rides to the polls.
She said that when the site was removed, it felt like students’ voices weren’t being heard.
“It spins back to us saying, ‘If your voice didn’t matter, then they wouldn’t be trying to actively take your polling site,’” Hines Bell said.
The decision to remove the MAC as a polling location came from a Sept. 1 Tarrant County Commissioners Court meeting. The proximity of the center to the courthouse was cited as the reason for the site’s removal.
Walkable Arlington President Liam Crowley said he has participated in nearly every election since he turned 18. When he could, Crowley used the MAC as his voting site. He said the site was convenient for him.
“There wasn’t much of a line. I showed them my ID. I voted. I kept on with my day,” Crowley said.
When the MAC was not available for past elections, Crowley said, he biked.
“It was so stressful; the cars were honking,” he said. “Now I’ve kind of learned some shortcuts and siders I can do.”
Mattern said the reduction of the sites — even if it was only the three compared to the 2022 election — is creating longer lines for all voters.
Still, people are sticking it out despite the wait.
Monday drew 50,409 early voters; Tuesday, 51,018; Wednesday, 48,926; and Thursday – which saw the lowest turnout throughout the week — 46,364.
“You’re seeing that they’re actively students who manage work, who manage school, who manage life going out and taking that time of their day to wait in those lines to go and vote,” Hines Bell said.
Mattern said the people showing up to the polls are dedicated voters who show up regardless. Despite the turnout thus far, she said people should not think it’s unnecessary to vote.
“Every single vote is necessary,” she said. “Don’t count on the other students to vote and think that they will make the difference. Every voter needs to vote to what their own values are.”
Early voting for the election continues through Oct. 30. On weekdays, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Sunday, the polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Election Day is Nov. 3.
@tay._.sansom