Voting Resources for Students
Why student votes matter
According to the Census Bureau's statistics from 2018, only 32% of young voters between the ages of 18-24 voted in the 2018 midterm elections. Compare that to the 68.1% of voters over the age of 65, 57% of voters between the ages of 45-54, 51% of voters between the ages of 35-44, and 42.1% of voters ages 25-34 voted in those same elections1. Meanwhile, the average age of our Congress Representatives and Senators is 57.8 years of age2.
In other words, young people's perspectives and voices (your perspectives and voices) are disproportionately missing from important conversations and policy-making decisions.
Texas A&M International University participates in the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) study by Tufts University. This study is used to inform participating institutions on their level of voter engagement on our camps. We are proud to say that students at TAMIU turn out to vote at a rate 3% higher than the national average3. Since 2014, TAMIU has increased its democratic engagement by 26.6%.
FAQ's
- Check the status of your state's primary election information on the Secretary of State's websites. The organization, Rock the Vote, has compiled some information about state primaries on their website.
- There has not been any information released about changes for the 2020 Presidential Election.
General Election Deadline: October 5, 2020
Only specific reasons entitle a registered voter to vote early by mail (no longer called absentee voting). You may request a ballot by mail if you:
- will be away from your county on Election Day and during the hours that early voting is conducted;
- are sick or disabled;
- are 65 years of age or older on Election Day; or
- are confined in jail.
First, request an Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM) from the Early Voting Clerk in the political subdivision conducting your election, or from our office. You may also print an ABBM directly from our website (PDF), (Spanish version (PDF). Our Elections Assistance website (tamiu.turbovote.org) will also walk you through the process and will send you a pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelope to mail back your ABBM. Once received, read the instructions carefully, complete the ABBM form and return it to the Early Voting Clerk. The last date to request an Application for Ballot by Mail (ABBM) is October 23. The last date to submit your ballot by mail is November 3rd (must be received by 7:00pm at the Elections Administration facility (if not postmarked).
When a voter arrives at a polling location, the voter will be asked to present one of the seven (7) acceptable forms of photo ID (listed below). If a voter does not possess an acceptable form of photo identification and cannot reasonably obtain one, the voter may present a supporting form of ID and execute a Reasonable Impediment Declaration, noting the voter’s reasonable impediment to obtaining an acceptable form of photo identification, stating that the information contained in the declaration is true, that the voter is the same individual personally appearing at the polling place to sign the declaration, and that the voter faces a reasonable impediment to procuring an acceptable form of photo identification. If a voter has continued access to their acceptable form of photo ID, but, for example, forgets to bring their acceptable form of approved photo ID to the polling place and/or left it, for example, at home or in their car, the voter still possesses the acceptable photo ID and must use it to vote.
Here is a list of the acceptable forms of photo ID:
- Texas Driver License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS
- Texas Personal Identification Card issued by DPS
- Texas Handgun License issued by DPS
- United States Military Identification Card containing the person’s photograph
- United States Citizenship Certificate containing the person’s photograph
- United States Passport (book or card)
With the exception of the U.S. Citizenship Certificate, which does not expire, for voters aged 18-69, the acceptable form of photo identification may be expired no more than four years before being presented for voter qualification at the polling place. For voters aged 70 or older, the acceptable form of photo identification may be expired for any length of time if the identification is otherwise valid.
Here is a list of the supporting forms of ID that can be presented if the voter does not possess an acceptable form of photo identification, and cannot reasonably obtain one:
- copy or original of a government document that shows the voter’s name and an address, including the voter’s voter registration certificate;
- copy of or original current utility bill;
- copy of or original bank statement;
- copy of or original government check;
- copy of or original paycheck; or
- copy of or original of (a) a certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes the voter’s identity (which may include a foreign birth document).
Sources
1. US Census Bureau. “Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2018.” The United States Census Bureau, 22 Apr. 2019.
2. Manning, Jennifer. “Membership of the 115th Congress: A Profile." [external PDF] United States Senate, Congressional Research Service, 20 Dec. 2018.
3. "Student Voting Rates for University of Nevada-Reno." National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement Campus Report. Tufts University Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. September 2019. Please reach out for a copy of this report.