Historically, college voter turnout has been sparse, especially for students who are away from home, first-time voters, disillusioned, or uneducated on the procedures for voting. Voter suppression and intimidation are certainly no help; the ACLU reported that Texas is the hardest state to vote in.Â
Thankfully, the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) found that over half of college students voted in the 2024 elections, on an upward trend since 2012 per a report from CIRCLE at Tufts University.Â
While numbers are run, habits are tracked, and ballots are observed every year, don’t fall into “being too busy” to vote. Follow me through a Tuesday as a full-time student and citizen!Â
Morning, before Class — 6:30 – 7:30 AM
Happy Tuesday! To be honest, I woke up a little later than I preferred, but still I rise… I made my bed to put the best foot forward and got ready, even if it was a hoodie and claw clip day.Â
Breakfast tacos with egg, sausage, and cheese were on the menu today (on a H-E-B tortilla, of course!) alongside a latte with instant blonde powder, pumpkin spice, caramel syrup, and almond milk. Then me and my roomie, Olivia, headed to class!
8:00 — 11 AM
We both had Mass Communications this morning, covering the newspaper chapter. Then, I headed to work for a quick meeting before finding myself back in Centennial to study (cram) for my film class midterm later today..
11 AM — 1:50 PM
Guten Tag! I went up a floor to my German class for a writing quiz and lecture. An hour and a half later, it was time for my first midterm of the semester! The nerves are gone now, but my hand definitely hurts.
2 — 2:30 PM: Let’s go vote!
I’ve been buzzing all day to cast my first vote! I headed from Flowers to LBJ and up to the third floor. After nervously checking my voter registration a couple of times in line, I showed my ID at the polls and was instructed on the process. Finally getting that sticker felt pretty good, too.
 2:45 — 5 PM
Time to head home! I had a yogurt bowl and dumplings for lunch before spending a bit of time cleaning the kitchen before getting dressed for chapter later (grr, business attire). Don’t ask me about my bedroom, though.
Evening
Olivia and I made a pit stop at Sonic for a profit share (#panlove) before chapter! Mozz sticks are the best pick-me-up. While I normally would stay up for some dinner and DWTS, this was more of a post-shower-yoga-Bob’s-Burgers-before-bed Tuesday.
Texas State and Hays County provide us students with many locations and resources to make sure that our voices are heard. Vote and vote early on campus at the LBJ Student Center, Hays County Voting Center, San Marcos Public Library, or at more locations listed here!