A Different Kind of TestWill UT Students Get Out the Vote in 2012?

The 2012 general election is less than a year away. Come November, many college students at the University of Texas at Austin will likely be more concerned about passing their classes than casting their ballots. Political organizations on campus, including University Democrats, College Republicans and Hook the Vote are trying to change that by informing students about important issues and encouraging them to make their voices heard at the polls. Judging by our nations history of low youth voter turnout rates, the organizations have quite a task ahead of them. Dr. Daron Shaw, a government professor at UT, said youth turnout tends to mirror the patterns of the larger public, but it is always slightly lower because young people often feel they have little reason to vote.
Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell spoke at a University Democrats fundraiser on November 17, 2011.

They usually do not own property, they do not pay property taxes and they dont have kids in local schools, said Shaw. They dont have as great a stake in the community as do older, more established people. Also, a lot of UT students are from Houston, Dallas or San Antonio and theyre registered to vote there, but they dont experience any of the local politics over the course of the year. Holly Heinrich, public relations director for University Democrats, said the groups main strategy for increasing youth turnout is to have personal interaction with potential voters. We put a lot of effort into being on the West Mall, passing out fliers, encouraging people to vote and telling people about the candidates, said Heinrich. During big election seasons, we block walk for democratic candidates in Austin, College Station, San Antonio and Dallas. We knock on peoples doors and tell them about Obama and the state senators and

representatives who are running. That way we get direct, face-to-face contact with people all over the city and all over the state. Heinrich said that one of the groups most popular events on campus is a celebration in front of the Flawn Academic Center, which serves as a polling place during early voting periods. We stay up all night so we can be the first to vote in the morning, said Heinrich. Its always a good time, and its a good way to get people out there. Ryan Ellis, president emeritus of College Republicans, said the organization invites Republican candidates and elected officials to speak at their bimonthly meetings in order to educate students about politics. Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, who is running for lieutenant governor of Texas in 2014, spoke at the groups meeting on Nov. 10. I think one of the biggest roles of College Republicans is to be a gateway for candidates to come and have access to students, and also for students who are interested in the process to meet candidates and pick the ones they want to help, said Ellis. Hook the Vote began as a campaign put on by UT Student Government during presidential election years. Last year, the Student Government Reform Task Force voted to convert Hook the Vote into a permanent agency. Dana Henning, agency director for Hook the Vote, said this will give the organization more opportunities to accomplish its goals of registering and educating voters. Henning said that in an effort to increase student interest in the elections that took place on Nov. 8, Hook the Vote participated in Politipalooza, during which political organizations on campus set up booths on UTs South Mall to talk with students about the importance of civic engagement.

We had one table with a game about the voter registration process, and another with a game about the 10 constitutional amendments that were on the ballot, said Henning. We also had plenty of voter registration cards available. Henning said Hook the Vote worked hard before the 2008 presidential election to encourage students to vote, and that the groups leadership is pleased with the results of those efforts. We put on a debate between University Democrats and College Republicans, said Henning. We dropped voter registration kits at on-campus dorms and in Riverside and West Campus, and we held phone banks to remind students to vote. Were definitely going to follow that model next year and see what we can do to improve voter education as well as registration. Henning said Hook the Vote is also planning for a registration rally in the spring so that students will be prepared to vote in the primary elections in March. Our goal this year is to get volunteers for Hook the Vote that will be interested in coming back next fall, and to have more of a presence so people know that we exist, said Henning. Heinrich said the results of the most recent state legislative session demonstrate why students need to become more involved in the political process. There were major cuts to higher education, public education and financial aid, said Heinrich. A lot of things that students and their families really depend on were slashed in the budget because students dont vote. Heinrich said President Obama is the best choice for college students in 2012 because of his support for federal financial aid, and because of his healthcare plan.

Now we can stay on our parents plans until were 26, said Henrich. Thats a huge deal for college students who cant afford to pay for their own healthcare plans. Ellis said college students should not vote for Obama because of his performance in pulling the country out of the recent recession. Look at the past three years that hes been president, said Ellis. Failed policies and billions upon billions spent with little to no return. I think a lot of people, especially college students, are waking up because of the jobs crisis. Weve got about 15 percent of young people unemployed right now, and thats higher than the national average. I think its inspiring a lot of people to get involved, and it should. Obamas a great campaigner, but I dont think he can beat those unemployment numbers and his current disapproval rating. Shaw said that while students should certainly pay attention to candidates stances on higher education funding, the economy and the availability of jobs are going to dominate the 2012 election. I think theres an implicit notion that if the candidates came and talked to students about Pell Grants for four hours, everybody would vote. Thats nonsense, said Shaw. Right now students feel significant anxiety over their prospects for getting jobs. Candidates who are able to speak to that issue are going to do better with students, and theyll do better with everybody. Heinrich said students can not wait until they are older to learn about politics. There is so much to learn about the candidates, and the issues are complicated, said Heinrich. Its important to start learning about them now and figuring out how you want to vote because that gives you an opportunity to get involved. Ellis said young people need to pay attention to politics even if some issues seem irrelevant to them now.

The things [politicians] do while in office have implications 30 years down the road, said Ellis. Eventually, those will be your tax dollars being spent. Henning said Hook the Vote tries to show students that is it easy to vote by helping them register and by providing students with information that they can use to make a decision at the polls. To be civically engaged is something we believe is a responsibility. We want students to be informed about whats going on in politics, because when you see a problem, voting is how you can have a say in it. Robert Williamson, a senior economics major at UT, said he will vote next year, but that he wants to learn more about the candidates before the election. When I voted in 2008, I made my decision based on the ideology I grew up around, said Williamson. I didnt look into the issues as much as I will this year. John Tillery, an international relations sophomore, said he is going to vote in 2012 because he appreciates the opportunity to do so. Sometimes the American political system seems broken to me, said Tillery. But voting is a privilege that we have compared to the rest of the world.