In preparation for the party primaries, the Trinity chapter of the Texas Freedom Network has taken action to reach out to voters at Trinity.
In response to the underwhelming voter turnout in Texas, Talia Howard, president of the Texas Freedom Network, explains the group got themselves deputized so that they could register people on campus to vote in the primaries.
“Texas is ranked one of the last in the country for voter turnout and registration. So we got deputized to register people to vote for Bexar County. We were all certified to register others to vote, and since then we have been tabling to register voters here on campus. We’ve registered over a hundred people at Trinity so far,” Howard said.
Howard discussed the importance of registering people to vote and explained why it is important young voters participate in the political process.
“Even if you think that one vote doesn’t matter, having your voice be heard is important. Voting is a privilege you have and should definitely take advantage of,” Howard said. “As a progressive group, the only way we can get more progressive legislation is to elect more progressive leaders. So that’s why it’s important for everyone to vote, and that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
Noah Boriak, a Trinity first year, agrees that is highly important for citizens to vote.
“If you don’t vote, you can’t complain, so I think people should definitely do everything they can to take advantage of their right to vote,” Boriack said. “It’s great that the Freedom Network is registering people to vote.”
The Texas Freedom Network has not endorsed any particular candidate. Instead, it focuses on increasing voter participation.
“We are non-partisan, and at this point we haven’t endorsed any single candidate. At this point we’re more so focused on getting people to vote. In the past, Texas Freedom Network has endorsed candidates like Wendy Davis when she ran for governor. We do stand for progressive values like reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ equality and access to voting,” Howard explained.
At times, the process of voting can seem like a challenge. In light of this, the Texas Freedom Network hopes to ensure that as many people on this campus are prepared to vote as possible.
“Young people in college are more politically involved than nearly any other group, but there are a lot of barriers preventing us from actually voting. That’s a problem,” Howard said. “So even though we can’t change the voter ID laws, we want to make sure that everyone knows what they need to do, what they need to bring, where they need to go to vote.”
Kara McLean, a Trinity first year, has experienced these difficulties.
“I tried to vote on Tuesday, but I couldn’t because I’m only registered in El Paso. That was news to me. So I have to applaud the Texas Freedom Network for helping people figure it all out. It’s a lot more complicated than it needs to be.”
The group hopes they have helped create an impact at Trinity encourage everyone to vote.
