TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2020 STUDENT MEDIA
EXTRA
VOTING 2020
ALL THINGS VOTING
Illustration by Gabrielle Shreve — THE BATTALION
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The Battalion | 9.15.20
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR New collaboration will benefit The Battalion and A&M’s journalism students Brady Stone
H
@bradystonex owdy Ags,
The 2020 election is quickly approaching, and with it comes countless decisions that will affect our government both nationally and locally. As the independent student voice of Texas A&M, it is not The Battalion’s place to tell you who to vote for or what is best for you and your family, but it is our job to make sure your voices and your vote will be heard this year and every year that follows. What you are about to read as you flip through this extra edition of The Battalion is a non-partisan look at everything voting. This extra edition is in collaboration with many of my peers — upperclassmen pursuing a journalism degree of some kind within A&M’s Department of Communication. This collaboration has allowed journalism students at A&M the opportunity to create content overseen by university instructors. All of the content in this print edition was pitched by journalism students to The Battalion and eagerly approved by our editorial staff. I’ll be frank with you. Like so many other college newspapers in the country, COVID-19 has hit The Battalion hard. We are working with a reduced staff and on a budget that would be much better off if we had had the opportunity to print our papers all spring and summer. Hearing that students pursuing majors and minors in journalism can fulfill their curriculum requirements and help us inform the student body may have been the best news I’ve heard in 2020. While the operation of The Battalion is completely independent of classroom instruction within A&M’s journalism degree, a shared goal between the two is of the utmost importance: preparing journalists for their futures and supporting democracy. The students who have helped build this edition are getting hands-on, pre-professional experience at The Battalion, a publication that has launched many journalism careers. This hands-on experience has given them a look at every aspect of the publishing process and will help prepare them for future internships and job
opportunities. On behalf of myself and the entire team of people who have put this edition together: we hope that the information we have provided will help you make an informed decision when looking at how to safely and easily vote this year. Thanks, Gig ‘Em and Go Vote! Brady Stone is a journalism junior and editor-in-chief for The Battalion. Special thanks to Angelique Gammon, Douglas Pils and all of our advertisers for making this extra edition possible.
EDITORIAL STAFF
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4
Make Notes to Vote
6
An Educated Citizenry
8
Snapshot of Texas Voting
9
Fight Back at the Polls
10
Students Vote by Mail
12
Registration Simplified
14
Civic Voices on Campus
15
Safety, Masks and Polls
By Angelina Alcantar, Leah Hanzel, Daoud Qamar and Anna Villabos
By Madi Telschow and Alyssa Gafford-Gaby
By Mitchell Beddingfield
By Hannah Brennan
Brady Stone, Editor-in-Chief Camryn Lang, Managing Editor Meredith Seaver, Photo Chief Cori Eckert, Head Page Designer JOUR 303 Class: Amina Butt, Allison Brock, Alyssa Gafford-Gaby, Angelina Alcantar, Anna Villalobos, Cody Baird, Daoud Qamar, Hannah Brennan, Ivoree Hernandez, Jennifer Streeter, Leah Hanzel, Madi Telschow, Marina Garcia, Mitchell Beddingfield, Rebecca Sloane and Ryne Ryskoski
2
By Allison Brock and Amina Butt
By Marina Garcia
By Ryne Ryskoski
By Cody Baird, Jennifer Streeter and Ivoree Hernandez
1791 “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
First Amendment to the Constitution
1876 Texas A&M University, established by the Morrell Act, becomes the first land-grant public institution of higher education in Texas. “With a mission to advance the public interest, public universities have a responsibility to not just be outspoken advocates for free speech, but leaders in providing a forum for civil discourse and disagreement.”
Jonathan Baldwin Taylor “Plan for a State University for the Industrial Classes”
1971 “The press was to serve the governed, not the governors. The Government’s power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the Government.”
2018
Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black
“Student media, through the publication of The Battalion and the education and practice of journalism it provides, is a vital component of Texas A&M University’s national prominence.”
The Office of Chancellor John Sharp statement of support, The Battalion 125 th Anniversary Gala
2020 A 21ST CENTURY APPROACH TO JOURNALISM EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts Journalism Studies
Brought to you by Friends of The Battalion, a registered 501c3 formed to stabilize the financial viability of independent, student-run journalism at Texas A&M University. Friends of The Battalion membership is open to everyone who supports student journalism, objective reporting and civil discourse, including non-journalists and non-Aggies. FriendsOfTheBattalion.org
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Mark your calendar, make a plan
Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION
The Texas early voting period for the 2020 election is from Oct. 13 through Oct. 30. To vote in person in Texas, you must register to vote by Oct. 5.
Texas registration rules, deadlines outlined for upcoming 2020 election By Angelina Alcantar, Leah Hanzel, Daoud Qamar and Anna Villabos The past nine months have been marked by extreme challenges — wildfires, hurricanes, a global pandemic and nationwide social uprising and unrest — and the November elections will be pivotal to how the year ends. In Texas, deadlines to register to vote, update mailing addresses, confirm eligibility and registration status and request an absentee ballot are all one month prior to the Nov. 3 general election. With mail delays possible, voter registrars are encouraging eligible voters to not wait and start the process now.
Step 1
Are you registered to vote? Texas residents can check voter registration
status and update mailing addresses at VoteTexas.gov. Complete local details at BrazosVotes.org. Outside Texas, check voter registration status at Vote.gov and confirm specific state deadlines and guidelines, since each state may be different. For first-time Texas voters, Oct. 5 is the deadline to fill out and return the voter registration application. The Brazos Elections administrator cautioned not to delay until the Oct. 5 postmark deadline. “You can either go to BrazosVotes.org or VoteTexas.gov and fill out an application there,” Trudy Hancock, Brazos Valley Elections Administrator, said. While the form can be completed online, the next step is to print the application and mail the forms directly to the election office in the county where the person wants to vote, Hancock said. “We have to have what the state calls a ‘wet signature,’ which is an original signature, and so we have to have that piece of paper regardless,” Hancock explained. Registration also can be completed in per-
son at a local post office, library, voter registrar’s office, a voter registration drive, or by mail. Hancock encouraged residents to keep a receipt of their registration, often a yellow sheet, even if registering in-person.
Step 2
Who can request an absentee ballot? Requesting an absentee ballot in Texas is restricted to eligible voters who meet the following requirements: • 65 years or older • be disabled • be out of county during early voting and on Election Day • be confined in jail but otherwise eligible There is current litigation to clarify how risk of contracting COVID-19 affects eligibility to vote by mail in Texas. COVID-19 can be acceptable criteria for requesting a ballot, although the individual must be impacted during both early voting and on Election Day, Hancock said.
Step 3
Vote early or vote on Election Day Texas early voting runs from Oct. 13 through Oct. 30. Dates and hours vary by county, so visit VoteTexas.gov. Texas residents who reside in Brazos County but are registered in another county may vote using a limited ballot that only includes items common to Brazos County and the registered county, Hancock said. “The only caveat to that is that it moves your registration to Brazos County, and you can only do it during early voting at the main early voting location, which would be in Downtown Bryan at the Brazos County Administration Building,” Hancock said. Brazos County poll locations for early voting and Nov. 3 Election Day are different, including poll locations on the Texas A&M campus. Confirm locations and times at BrazosVotes.org.
AGGIES CHOOSE TO LEAD... no matter who they choose to lead. Throughout history, they have fought valiantly for freedom and democracy knowing that these things are not given, but earned. Their core values guide their decisions, and they recognize a common bond with their countrymen—just like the untold spirit that unites them in Aggieland. As many students vote for the ďŹ rst time this year, the Texas A&M Foundation encourages all Aggies to exercise their rights and let their voices be heard at the ballot box. Discover stories of Aggie leaders at txamfoundation.com/news.
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An educated citizenry Who bears the weight of democracy?
Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION
Texas A&M President Michael K. Young that A&M’s core values align with a student’s responsibility to vote, if able.
A&M administrators, students discuss importance of voting By Madi Telschow and Alyssa Gafford-Gaby A unified belief in the importance of civic engagement in higher education connects students to leadership all the way to the top of the Texas A&M University System. Ideas diverge over how best to encourage active participation and who shoulders responsibility for creating an educated citizenry. Who should be leading the charge at Texas
A&M Univeristy? With all eyes on the November election, student inboxes are filled with emails from partisan, nonpartisan and bipartisan organizations reminding college students of voter registration deadlines and events designed to engage students in the democratic process. Many professors incorporate the upcoming election in their hybridized classes. The question remains: is enough being done to promote an active and educated citizenry at Texas A&M? According to Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp, the effectiveness of instructors in creating an informed citizenry determines the future of the nation. As such, it is
the responsibility of the System to graduate educated individuals. “Land grant universities were created ... to feed the country, to build a better world and to protect it,” wrote Sharp in an email statement. “We take ordinary kids and turn them into extraordinary young adults.” The free, robust dialogue encouraged by Texas A&M is a fulfillment of its natural responsibility toward civic duty, Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young said. “Voting really is a critical thing, and it fits Texas A&M because we are about service and engagement,” Young said, adding that student focus had to be on local, not just national,
issues and elections. “You have to pay attention, especially to local government,” Young said. “If you really want schools to be integrated and deal with issues of disparity and opportunity, that’s a local decision. If there’s a change you want to see, you need to go out and vote — every election — not just this year.” Young said he believes the process of voter engagement is effectively facilitated by administrators with the presence of voting locations on campus, ongoing discussions about making parking free for voters and added safety precautions in light of COVID-19.
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“
If there’s a change you want to see, you need to go out and vote – every election – not just this year.” Michael K. Young, President of Texas A&M University
Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION
Gig the Vote and Aggies Vote are two student initiatives that promote civic engagement by registering voters and encouraging participation.
Student leaders said voting initiatives could be better supported by administration. Texas A&M does not actively encourage voter registration because there no direct initiatives come from the administrative level, said Helena MacCrossan, Student Government Association vice president of municipal affairs. “The best thing they do is allow so many different organizations to promote political ideas and engagement,” MacCrossan said. “If the administrative and system levels were able to get involved and really promote, it would definitely help.” MacCrossan said there is a nationwide ini-
tiative for universities to provide one-click voter information from the school’s main website. “That would definitely make a change and make voting more accessible,” MacCrossan said. Gig the Vote, the SGA voting initiative that MacCrossan oversees, historically has not been effective in promoting civic engagement or voter registration, she said. “I don’t know if we’ve been super successful or made that much of an impact,” MacCrossan said. “That’s something that our organization is really trying to change this year.” Political science senior Sofia Lozano said
she started a nonpartisan organization, Aggies Vote, to increase Brazos County voter turnout in 2018 with only limited success. “We are grateful that there’s a polling location on campus – most campuses don’t have a polling location – but other than that, we don’t really get a lot of help from A&M itself or from student government,” Lozano said. Partisan organizations active on campus include Aggies For Joe, Texas A&M Moderates and Texas A&M College Republicans. Among the groups, some are working to register voters, others to train poll workers while all are sharing their perspective on policies and positions at stake in the upcoming election.
Overall, numerous campus organizations are working to promote an active citizenry, and many do the work with little external assistance. “Texas A&M, from 2018, showed a great voter registration rate of 82 percent with just shy of 50 percent of students going out and voting,” MacCrossan said. “The biggest thing is trying to get to those students who aren’t actively looking for ways to be engaged. “We are hoping to see a good rise in turnout with the passion revolving around the November elections,” MacCrossan said. “But it really does start with registration.”
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A snapshot of history
Graphic by Angelina Alcantar, Photos via hold.cstx.gov, texashistory.unt.edu, library.tamu.edu
Strict Texas voting laws have led to historically low voter turnout By Mitchell Beddingfield After Reconstruction, the “white primary” in Texas was status quo until 1923, when Article 3107 of the Statutes of Texas codified it as law. The “white primary” would prevent Black Democrats from having a voice in representation. Three Black men would each challenge the law. Lawrence Nixon, a Black physician from El Paso, sued after being turned away from voting despite having a poll tax receipt. In 1927, the Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional in Nixon v. Herndon, citing the Four-
teenth Amendment. Within months, Texas replaced the law with another that allowed primary executive committees to restrict who could participate in nominations, a de facto return to white primaries. When Democrats passed a resolution, Nixon sued again. In 1934, the Supreme Court again sided with Nixon, citing the Fourteenth Amendment. The victory was short lived. Another resolution instituting the white primary was passed by the Texas Democratic state convention to replace the executive committee. Houston barber Richard Grovey sued, and lost. In 1935, the Supreme Court found in Grovey v. Townsend the Democratic primary, as a private organization, had the power to set membership requirements.
The white primary continued until 1944, when the Supreme Court overturned the Grovey decision in Smith v. Allwright, stating the primaries were an integral part of the electoral process. This was a victory for Black voters, but it did not mean the end of voter suppression. In 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act to protect and ensure the right to vote for all eligible citizens regardless of race. Section 5 of the VRA requires that certain states are subject to a preclearance requirement in the event of changing voting laws. Section 4 determined which states were subject to Section 5. Texas was one of these states. The 2013 Supreme Court decision Shelby County v. Holder determined that Section 4 provisions were outdated and no longer applied. This decision effectively dis-
armed the VRA of the power to keep states in check. Within hours of the decision, then Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced that Texas would implement stricter voting ID requirements, a strategy historically used to suppress and disenfranchise minority groups. In 2014, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals found the Texas law “racially discriminatory” and unconstitutional. Today, SB 5, a new law, provides six alternative forms of identification citizens can use to vote. Historically, Texas has had comparatively low voter turnout. Texas voter turnout has not been above 55 percent in the last 50 years. The U.S. median voter turnout rate was 59.3 percent in 2016.
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Prepping for the polls Students can fight voter supression by registering voters, volunteering By Hannah Brennan
Photo by Alyssa Gafford-Gaby
On Sept. 12, the student organization Aggies Vote participated in a voter registration drive sponsored by Black Lives Matter BCS.
Graphic by Angelina Alcantar
In the ongoing struggle against voter suppression, students are doing their part to fight back by registering people to vote and encouraging students to go through training to create the next wave of poll workers. Students and student-run organizations have stepped forward in finding ways to minimize voter suppression and help others exercise their right to vote. Poll Hero was created in July by a group of six Princeton University students to help register students to vote and to become poll workers, said Leo Kamin, co-founder of Poll Hero. Some cities have seen a deficit of over 5,000 poll workers, Kamin added. “You need more than just the right to vote, to vote,” said Kamin. “You need to be able to do it efficiently and that requires poll workers to keep locations open.” After a month, Poll Hero has helped 11,000 students become registered to vote, said Ella Gantman, co-founder and director of collegiate outreach for Poll Hero. She said their group reaches out to campus organizations like sports teams, sororities and clubs in focus cities that need more poll workers. “So many cities have seen voter suppression because of these voting stations closing,” said Gantman. “I’d say our model responds to voter suppression by focusing specifically on those cities where we see that happen.” The shortage comes from the health risks involved during COVID-19, specifically for senior citizens, because in the past they made up the majority of poll workers, said Gantman. She encouraged students to help out, since every county pays their polls workers, ranging from $50 to $300 for the day. Other groups have tried making voting easier like Aggies Vote, a nonpartisan voter education and voter registration organization on campus focused on increasing voter turnout in Brazos County. “We do Party at the Polls where we escort people to the polls,” said Sofia Lozano, president of Aggies Vote. “We’ll table 100 feet away from the MSC and walk them to the polls and give out pizza and candy just
so that they’ll go vote.” Aggies Vote tables all over campus with members available to answer questions about voting and has collectively registered around 4,000 new voters, said Lozano. To be able to register voters, there is a certification training required to become a volunteer deputy registrar through the local county. Registering through a volunteer deputy registrar can make it easier to change addresses, ask questions and instill confidence in voters, said Lauren Devenzio, an individual volunteer deputy registrar for Brazos County.
Photo by Angelina Alcantar
Any U.S. citizen and state resident over the age of 18 can become a volunteer voter registrar in Texas, with restrictions.
“I’m doing a registration party in like an hour,” said Devenzio. “I have 10 people coming over.” After registering with a VDR, the voter is given a receipt that indicates certified registration, added Devenzio. “Voter suppression is certainly out there, but having a VDR to help you with the process and making it as easy and simple as possible gives you the ability to vote confidently,” said Devenzio. Last year, Texas led the South in the number of polling places closed since 2013, according to The Texas Tribune. Two counties in Texas closed enough polling locations to violate state law by falling below statutory minimums, although Brazoria County clerk has issued a statement the closings were inadvertent and would not happen in 2020. Combined with strict voter ID and vote by mail laws, these factors could worsen chronically low voter turnout in Texas.
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Graphic by Gabrielle Shreve, Photo by Meredith Seaver — THE BATTALION
Texas A&M’s on-campus post office is located at 104 Houston Street, across the street from Northgate.
Mail-in voting for students, explained Many A&M students qualify for absentee ballots, per Texas law By Allison Brock & Amina Butt Texas has strict requirements on mail-in ballot eligibility, but many Texas A&M students meet absentee voting guidelines. With a record-breaking number of mailin ballots expected for November elections, college students who can’t get home to vote in the county where they registered, qualify to vote absentee. Absentee ballots overcome barriers to voting caused by distance or inability to travel. “I’m a college student, so time is a serious factor in my day-to-day life,” Dahna Dehghany, a political science junior from Houston
who has voted absentee said. “With mail-in voting, I didn’t have to go anywhere; the voting came to me.” Students registered to vote qualify for an absentee ballot if they will be outside their registered county throughout early voting and on election day. The first step is to submit an absentee ballot application to the county elections office where the voter is registered. Deadline to submit is Oct. 23, just over a week before Nov. 3 Election Day. Once approved, voters who submitted their absentee ballot request 45 days or more before the election could receive their ballot up to 30 days before the election. County election offices must receive a ballot by 7 p.m. on Nov. 3; ballots postmarked by this date and time can arrive as late as 5 p.m. Nov. 4 and still be counted.
The key is to start the process early. International studies senior Madison Jaco said she voted absentee in Texas while interning in Arlington County, Virginia. Confirming the status of her application and final ballot was not easy, Jaco said. “I think the mail-in voting process in Texas could be made more accessible to all people,” Jaco said. “Currently, it’s tedious and confusing.” According to Brookings Institution research on best mail-in voting processes, Texas received a letter score of “C” due to lack of accessibility. By comparison, Oregon received a letter score of an A, making it the model as more states debate expanding mail-in voting due to the coronavirus pandemic. Oregon pioneered statewide vote by mail 20 years ago. “Since Oregon took the plunge, Colorado,
Hawaii, Utah and Washington state have followed. Other states are edging toward [mailin voting], at least this year, amid concerns that forcing voters to polling places will reduce turnout and expose them to the coronavirus,” Associated Press News reported. As a college student, Jaco said she appreciates the opportunity to vote absentee, but said it should be easier to monitor application status and to confirm receipt of ballots to reassure voters. She said she would like to see Texas expand mail-in voting to all voters. “I think people should be able to participate in mail-in voting if they want to for their own health, safety, or convenience,” Jaco said, “regardless of whether or not they have pre-existing conditions or are college students who regularly qualify for vote by mail.”
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Voter registration, simplified Students who sleep in Brazos County, are eligible to vote in Brazos County By Marina Garcia The A&M campus and Bryan College Station are both a part of Brazos County, so all students who are Texas residents can register to vote here — whether they live on or off campus — before the Oct. 5 deadline.
ON CAMPUS HELP
No printer? No problem. Graphic by Gabrielle Shreve — THE BATTALION
Top: Graphic by Gabrielle Shreve — THE BATTALION Bottom: Graphic by Rebecca Sloane
Not having a printer to print the voter registration form is a barrier for some students, so Texas Rising has streamlined the process. A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused exclusively on civic engagement among the young adults, the TxRising.org website allows anyone to fill out the form electronically. Texas Rising will then print the completed form and mail it back. Students only have to then sign the form and mail it to the Brazos County registrar’s office to complete registration. “A really big misconception from college students about voting is how difficult it is,” Hannah Hughes, Texas Rising Central Texas field manager, said. “The process is very easy because we make it easy.” Any group can request a Texas Rising Zoom session to fill out the voter registration application, check registration status and update mailing addresses, Hughes said, by emailing the A&M chapter at tamu@tfn.org. Aggies for Latinx Politics, Heritage and Arts was created this semester, but founder and president Miranda Calderon said the organization is already helping the Latinx community register to vote. “We really want to … increase civic engagement within the Latinx community, specifically at A&M through voter registration drives [and] letter writing,” Calderon, a junior political science major, said. ALPHA recently held their first in-person voter registration drive at Rudder Plaza.
JUST FOR DORM DWELLERS Having a mailbox is key
Residence hall addresses can seem tricky, but students can use the physical location of the dorm, including their room number, Graphic by Rebecca Sloane
when registering to vote, Hughes said. In-person registration usually includes a receipt that can help students use a provisional ballot if trouble arises at a polling site. The online application doesn’t offer a receipt so the student must trust the state has received and successfully accepted the application, Hughes said. Having a mailbox is key to receive a voter registration card which is vital to prove eligibility at a polling place. “Because of COVID, I’m unable to give anyone a receipt, so I’d say right now during this time it’s very important that you have a place to receive your mail,” Hughes said. English senior Lydia Hill said she is changing her voter registration to Brazos County from her hometown in Brenham. “I’m in College Station right now, and I figured it would be best to be registered to vote here just because I wasn’t sure when I’d be able to go back to my hometown,” Hill said. Whoever wins the presidential election will affect everyone for the next four years, said Hill. “The younger demographic doesn’t go out and vote as much,” Hill said. “I think that it’s really important to have our voice heard.”
OFF CAMPUS VOTING DRIVES
Voting & social justice go hand in hand Black Lives Matter BCS recently held the “Pull Up and Register Block Party” at Sadie Thomas Park in Bryan. Ebony Peterson said the group she co-founded a year ago works to spread awareness of social injustices experienced by the Black community in Brazos County. “We [knew] that we needed to make sure that the community was registered to vote so we basically said why don’t we go out into the community and do a pull up and register event,” said Peterson. “That way we could continue social distancing.” The Young Democrats of the Brazos Valley, other volunteers and local and state candidates helped coordinate the drive-up event, Peterson said, and anyone can help at future Black Lives Matter BCS events by emailing BLMBCS979@gmail.com. “My grandparents really fought hard for us to be able to vote,” Peterson said, “so voting has to be important if the Black community had to fight for it.”
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Photo by Alyssa Gafford-Gaby
Volunteer voter registrars met on Sept. 12 to register new Brazos County voters in Bryan.
Graphics by Angelina Alcantar
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Texas A&M political organizations’ thoughts on election, COVID-19 Texas A&M Moderates are training to be poll workers. “It’s your civic duty to vote,” Letchuman said. “I don’t even care who you vote for.” “If you can vote by mail, then vote by mail if that’s the best option for you,” Letchuman said. Texas A&M College Republicans have people who can register voters in Brazos, Harris and Victoria counties, said Frankel. “We hold the civic responsibility of being an American citizen and the civic responsibilities endowed upon us by the Founding Fathers, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights,” Frankel said. “Voting is an essential component to that, so yes, we do believe that everyone should be able to vote by some mechanism, and everyone should vote in whatever way they can as long as that method is safe and secure.” Photo by Angelina Alcantar
Members of the student organization Aggies for Trump banner-hold outside of the MSC.
Students across political spectrum discuss concerns for 2020 election By Ryne Ryskoski While Texas A&M recognized student organizations are working to register voters and to present individual perspectives about candidates and issues, the lead up to November has been different than other elections. The one point all groups agree on is that getting out the vote during COVID-19 against the backdrop of one of the largest social justice movements in U.S. history has presented unique challenges. Leaders of Aggies For Joe, Texas A&M College Republicans and Texas A&M Moderates all expressed concerns about mail-in vs. safe, in-person voting, as well as concerns about voter fraud in Texas, have affected the groups in different ways. Amidst a nationwide debate about expanded mail-in voting in states that restrict eligibility, Texas A&M College Republicans Chairman Gary Frankel said he believes there needs to be a line drawn between absentee and mail-in ballots. He said his organization has security concerns regarding mail-in ballots. “We need to make the difference between mail-in voting and absentee voting clearer,” Frankel said. “Absentee voting has security protocols, and it’s just a lot more consistent. “It’s important, especially in states where the election is going to almost certainly be very close, where just a couple thousand votes can mean one candidate or the other win-
ning,” Frankel said. Patrick Mann, president of Aggies For Joe, said their group holds a different view on security risks and cited the safety that mail-in voting provides for the at-risk community as the primary reason the group supports expanding mail-in voting eligibility in Texas. “We believe that voting is a sacred right in America,” Mann said. “Everybody has the right to vote once they’re 18. And since it is an important right, we need to have access and right now there is a pandemic that has killed over 180,000 people. “So already, there are people that might not show up to a polling place because they’re worried about their health concern,” Mann said. Texas A&M Moderates president Sunjay Letchuman said she believes there is merit to each side’s claims. “There’s been pushback on mail-in ballots from the Republicans, citing that there is sometimes fraud and for example, we’ve seen someone get a ballot who hasn’t been alive for 20 years,” Letchuman said. “We don’t want that. “But generally, the concept of mail-in voting is very safe so that’s the evidence that the Democrats are using,” Letchuman said. “As a result, we don’t know how prevalent mail-in ballots are going to be in the next election, so that’s been a big topic that we’ve talked about.” All three organizations said they have struggled since fewer students are on-campus due to the online class option making it harder to
reach people with messages and opinions. Mann said it’s especially important for political organizations to be able to talk to individuals, canvass and go door to door in the lead-up to the election, all of which are more difficult due to COVID-19. “We’re trying to create tabling in the MSC and go around with our iPads on campus registering people to vote,” Mann said. “So it’s been tough for my org because we’ve had to adapt to that.” Letchuman said members of Texas A&M Moderates are still figuring out how to overcome challenges. “We do have a pretty close-knit group though,” Letchuman said. “So the members who were with us these past semester are still with us. But yes, it’s been hard.” Frankel said Texas A&M College Republicans have changed how they use their social media to reach a larger audience. “In the past, we’ve been more hands-off of our twitter,” Frankel said. “But recently we’ve been using it more extensively by making statements, disseminating material and using social media as a medium.” For voter registration and turnout, all organization leaders said they agree that those who are legally allowed to vote should, no matter their party affiliation or opinions. Some members are training to be poll workers, while others are focused on registering people to vote. “This is a bipartisan issue, not a Democrat/ Republican issue,” Mann said. “It’s a ‘safety of Americans’ issue.” Letchuman said quite a few members of
Editor’s Note: Texas A&M College Republican’s Chairman Garion Frankel is an opinion writer for The Battalion. FACT CHECK No Evidence of Widespread Mail-In or Voter Fraud in Millions of Ballots Cast Carnegie-Knight News21, a national reporting initiative headquartered at Arizona State, published a database covering 20002013 data on election fraud in America. It found that 24% of all election fraud cases were absentee ballot fraud, with 491 confirmed cases of absentee ballot fraud in the U.S. since 2000 out of the millions of votes cast over the last 20 years. Evidence showed of the 2,068 alleged election-fraud cases since 2000, while fraud has occurred, the rate is “infinitesimal.” Evidence cited showed in-person voter impersonation on Election Day, which prompted 37 state legislatures to enact or consider tough voter ID laws, is “virtually non-existent.” Read the full report and data at VotingRights.News21.com. Earlier this year, The Washington Post analyzed and reported on data collected by three vote-by-mail states with help from the nonprofit Electronic Registration Information Center. The Post article said officials identified just 372 possible cases of double voting or voting on behalf of deceased people out of about 14.6 million votes cast by mail in the 2016 and 2018 general elections, or 0.0025 percent. The Post analysis also quoted local officials in those states who pointed to sophisticated systems in use to detect and prevent fraud.
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Voting safely during COVID-19 Texans have several options when voting this November By Cody Baird Texas officials said they have adapted during the pandemic with options designed to make voters feel safe during in-person voting. The following rundown explains all Texas voting options.
Mail in Ballots
Mailed ballots and absentee ballots are interchangeable terms, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Texas is among 16 states that require a voter meet specific state eligibility requirements, making it one of the most restrictive states to vote by mail, according to NCSL. Mail in eligibility is valid for voters aged 65 or older; voters confined to jail but still eligible; or voters who have a recognized disability as defined by the Texas Election Codes. A May 27 Texas Supreme Court opinion stated that fear of contracting COVID-19 does not satisfy the disability requirement as defined by the Election Code. Brazos County Elections Administrator Trudy Hancock said election officials have no authority to question a voter’s statement regarding a recog-
nized disability. “We don’t police that, but that’s not saying I encourage that to be used,” Hancock said. She said the Texas Attorney General may choose to review ballots and has authority to investigate whether the voter’s request meets vote by mail qualifications.
Early Voting
The 2020 early voting period was extended by Gov. Abbott on July 27 and will now begin on Oct. 13 rather than Oct. 19. The proclamation also extended the period during which marked mail-in ballots may be delivered in person, by the voter, to the early voting clerk’s office to the same dates to address recent concerns about slowdown of mail delivery.
Curbside Voting
Curbside voting is available to older voters, voters with compromised health and voters with disabilities, Hancock said. “All polling locations have that,” Hancock said. “Just know that it’s not like McDonald’s and a quick in and out service.” It is a lengthy process because poll workers have to check each voter in and bring voting equipment to them, she said.
Safety Precautions While it encourages use of masks, Gov. Abbott’s state-wide executive order specifically exempts polling sites from the state’s face-covering requirements. “We made clear that masks are highly recommended,” Abbott said at a town hall meeting in Houston. “We don’t want to deny somebody the ability to go vote simply because they don’t have a mask.” Hancock encouraged Brazos County voters to wear masks, but noted they are not required. Most poll workers will wear either a mask or a face shield, she said. “There’s social distancing markers on the floors, hand sanitizer going in and coming out,” Hancock said. Brazos County also purchased a device that sanitizes the stylus before and after each voter uses it, Hancock said, because all voters have to use a specific stylus to sign poll pads. These are the same precautions Hancock said her office implemented during July elections, and no cases of COVID-19 were traced back to Brazos County polling sites following the voting period. Complete list of Brazos County poll locations, dates and times for early and Nov. 3 voting at BrazosVotes. org by clicking “Voting Places.”
Graphic by Gabrielle Shreve — THE BATTALION
Poll workers in a pandemic Support staff face challenges as new essential workers By Jennifer Streeter and Ivoree Hernandez
Grapic by Gabrielle Shreve — THE BATTALION
COVID-19 is not just a health concern for in-person voting, poll workers also are concerned about health risks as they supervise voting during election season. Robert “Bob” McCurley, a University of Alabama professor with a specialization in elections, said he does not expect poll worker duties to change, but their perception will be adjusted. “I don’t think their duties are
going to change at all, but I do think their awareness is going to be,” said McCurley. “And in many states, they have to work long hours … so it’s going to be kind of nervy.” Sanna Bhai, Class of 2020, will be a poll worker for the November election and said all poll workers are trained about requirements they will be expected to follow. “What they’ve told us so far is mostly that we are going to wear face masks and face shields,” Bhai said. “We will try to maintain a six feet distance and have hand sanitizer at all the stations.” Philip McDonald was a student poll worker for Dallas County in
2016. He said he expects the process to look different in 2020, but doesn’t expect it to deter voters. “I think it will be different because of the social distancing guidelines, but it should not slow the process down that much,” said McDonald. Elizabeth Compean, who is registered to vote in Brazos County, said she hopes people will wear face coverings and respect each other’s space. “For in person voting, I hope poll workers find a convenient way to vote to limit the amount of interaction with others and to reduce risk as much as possible,” Compean said.
