Registered voters in Dallas County are voting in the Texas Primary today to choose party nominees for presidential and state races.
Young voter turnout today may very well affect the outcome of the 2024 November election, said Preston Patten, president of the SMU chapter of Turning Point USA, a national organization dedicated to educating and encouraging students to speak out on political issues.
“It’s absolutely imperative that young people get out and vote,” Patten said. “It not only allows them to understand what it means to fulfill their civic duty, but it allows them to express their voice and utilize their power as a citizen.”
The primary elections are critical to determining which party nominees will be represented on the November ballot.
While Donald Trump is the leading nominee for the Republican Party, Nikki Haley vows to stay in the race. President Joe Biden is the leading nominee for the Democratic Party.
A total of 468 seats in the U.S. Congress are up for reelection, including 33 Senate seats and 435 House seats. The ballot in Texas includes primary races for the U.S. Senate, judicial seats, State Board of Education, Railroad Commission, county sheriffs, constables and tax assessors.
Voters are weighing such issues as the Israel and Ukraine conflict, abortion, climate change, immigration, gender and race in schools and Trump’s ongoing trial as they go to the voting booth both today and in November, SMU Political Science Professor Cal Jillson said. The economy is a big issue, too, he said.
“It looked as if the public opinion on the economy was not positive and that would’ve hurt Biden but it’s picked up,” Jillson said. “And balancing that off, Republicans are focused on the border, border security, and on crime.”
Students registered in Dallas County won’t have far to go to vote today as there will be a poll on campus. Dallas County voters on Tuesday may go to any poll listed on the Dallas County Votes website. Nearby polling places include University Park United Methodist Church at 4024 Caruth Blvd., Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, 7611 Park Lane, both in Dallas, and the SMU Hughes-Triggs Center, Room 120.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must bring proof of residency and identity verification.
For out-of-state students registered in their home district, a requested mail-in ballot must be postmarked on or before 7 p.m. Tuesday.
For the November elections, out-of-state students should register to vote with their educational
address. Students are encouraged to create a voting plan and know all their voting options before election day.
Fondren Library is planning to organize and host events for the upcoming general election in November, said Ramón García, an undergraduate success librarian at SMU who helped with voter registration on campus.
