State and county officials addressed students’ concerns about voter education, registration and security Monday at the Union.
During the discussion, titled “Securing the Vote: Preparing for Historic Turnout in the November Election,” panelists talked about prominent voter issues such as voter registration and electronic voting machines. The panelists included Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir; Ann McGeehan, the director of elections for the Texas Secretary of State; and UT public affairs professor Ray Martinez.
“One word for election law is ‘decentralized,’” Martinez said. “The history of our country’s elections have been administered at the state or local level.”
Ann McGeehan spoke about elections at the state level. She said voting certification must meet state and federal requirements.
“You start at national, then you must go to state level,” she said. “The rules are different in different states.” McGeehan also discussed concerns citizens might have about ensuring their vote is counted on electronic ballots. McGeehan said some Galveston residents may have to register to vote in another county, if they cannot return home.
“All that this scrutiny has done is raise the playing field and people’s accountability,” McGeehan said.
McGeehan said she has not heard reports of fraud but has heard about “glitches.”
“There are more than 8,000 precincts in Texas, and every administrator is expected to know the law,” McGeehan said. “Most glitches are traced back to human error.”
This panel was the first event hosted by Hook the Vote, a coalition of UT organizations that includes UT Votes, Student Government, College Republicans, University Democratsand the Student Event Center.
“We want to encourage students to vote, voice opinions and make an informed vote,” said Kate Raetz, chair of UT Votes. Raetz said the panel focused on the voting process, how votes are counted and security issues.
“It’s kind of a complicated process, and a lot of people don’t understand it,” Raetz said. “This panel is to show people how it works.”
Cathy Setzer, UT Votes graduate coordinator, said UT Votes’ main goals are registration, education and mobilization. “We want to make sure people have what they need to understand the voting process, and we want to give them the tools they need to make an educated decision,” Setzer said. “We want students not only to participate — we want them to participate in an educated way.”
“The fact that the panelists are willing to come and talk to us should say something to the voters,” Setzer said.
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