Young voter turnout is historically low, but at SMU, students can vote on campus
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Both Republicans and Democrats are hoping to get the votes of young Texans on Tuesday.
Historically, their turnout has been low.
There's plenty of reasons why college students may not vote. At SMU, location isn't one of them – there's a polling location right in the center of campus.
There are students trying to incentivize their classmates to cast their ballots.
"It sounds silly almost, but people have been getting so excited about the buttons," said SMU alum Rylee Bailey. "I think it just kind of goes to show, we do want them to take voting seriously - but it can also be kind of fun at the same time."
Election Day can feel like a celebration, especially for students who are getting to vote for the first time.
"I got a couple texts from my friends, like 'Hey it's voting day, make sure to go vote,'" said Christopher Hess, a sophomore at SMU. "A couple people were like 'I already did, not bragging about it, but like I already did my duty so you should go out and do yours also.'"
SMU's Maguire Center for Ethics set up a voter information table to help direct students to the polls, and to point them to nonpartisan sources to learn more about each race.
"So what we're trying to remind them is that voting is an important responsibility and it's not just that they vote, but that they know who they're voting for," said Rita Kirk, director of the SMU Maguire for Ethics.
Some students missed the deadline to register to vote in Dallas County, or forgot to request an absentee ballot from their home state or county in Texas.
"There were some people who were like, 'Aw man, I wasn't able to vote,' I think they now know they need to start looking at that ahead of time and stop procrastinating to the last minute," Hess said.
For those who couldn't vote because of registration issues, the students hope their efforts will inspire them to get everything in order for the next election.