O’Rourke showing the Coog sign at the Student Center South Theatre on Sept. 18, 2024 | Jacob Castillo/ The Cougar
Former Democratic U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke visited the University on Sept. 18 in an effort to encourage students to vote for the election.
O’Rourke considers this election as one of the most important of this lifetime and was there to help students overcome voter misrepresentation in the state.
“Voter suppression and voter intimidation laws that we have on the books in Texas are disproportionately targeting young voters such as yourself,” O’Rourke said. “They’re moving polling places from college campuses, splitting universities into multiple precincts to confuse students, closing down polling places that used to be open.”
Even with the odds against those like the students of UH, O’Rourke is on a mission for the sake of young voters to have their voices heard.
Using the Ready to Vote tour, O’Rourke aims to involve students in the voting process and is on his route to as many colleges as he can.
He intends for students and young individuals across the state to learn more about voting and getting involved.
Beto O’Rourke at the Student Center South Theatre on Sept. 18, 2024 | Jacob Castillo/ The Cougar
The event was more than just O’Rourke himself, it was a team effort to bring together the future voters of UH.
“It was a collaboration between the Student Government Association and UH Black, and I kind of just helped out on the volunteer side, but it was really well planned,” said political science senior and National Political Director for College Democrats of America Joshua Martin. “There’s over 40 or 50 volunteers who have signed up today. So it’s really exciting to see a lot of students engaging in the political process.”
For SGA, it is very important to have voter outreach, especially in the midst of such an integral election.
In their eyes, SGA believes it is their responsibility to assist those in need of education in matters of voting.
“SGA is the voice of the students, and by that, it means we’re the voice in every place, we really want students to show up and give their voice in the community as well, not only within the University,” said SGA Chief of Staff and accounting and marketing junior Daniela Gonzalez.
O’Rourke’s visit will not be the last time students get the ability to learn about voting and its process.
As the weeks move forward toward the voting registration due date and the election itself, SGA has many plans in the books for voter outreach.
“We are working with some Hispanic organizations, hosted by Somos UH,” Gonzalez said. “They’re going to do a Latino voter registration event, and we’re also working with different organizations to do tablings.”
However, time is running out for those who want to get involved in this election. The deadline for voting registration looms closer on Oct. 7, making total outreach harder by the day.
O’Rourke’s plans to get involved with many of the college campuses is a race against this deadline.
He recalls coming to UH during early voting and students getting excited to vote for him, however, he had to inform them that the registration deadline was closed.
“This is why we’re doing this ahead of early voting and ahead of the voter registration deadline,” O’Rourke said.
The tour seems to have affected many students who have listened to him speak so far and a lot of them even share the same urgency of voting during this election.
“My parents are immigrants, and so they don’t get to vote,” said political science freshman Mia Saenz. “So I feel like it’s my duty to be able to cast that vote for them, and I feel like a lot of people also resonate with that.”
A few students already know the meaning of O’Rourke’s message, and enjoy hearing someone such as himself discuss it so publicly.
“I know he’s not running for anything, but I think his message is pretty important, especially now that a lot of young people are getting into politics and what’s going on,” said history senior Alexander Martinez.
For students like Saenz and Martinez, this duty is much less of a burden and more of a privilege.
However, some students are looking for more than just voting and more on how they can help with deeper involvement.
“I wanted to hear what he had to say about the importance of voter registration and what we can do as leaders,” said psychology junior Victoria Fernandez. “What we can do even just at the age of 18 or 19.”
However, the University isn’t just part of O’Rourke’s checklist of students to register. He has a genuine affinity for the culture on college campuses, and especially for UH.
He appreciated the SGA leadership and all the students who showed up to get registered, showcasing a bright political future.
“This is one of the most spectacular campuses in the country, perhaps the most diverse student body in America, the most politically engaged that I’ve run into,” O’Rourke said.
O’Rourke encouraged everyone to persevere through the obstacles that are in the face of young voters today.
He intends on seeing each and every one of them out at the polls come early voting and in November.
“We just have to remember that we are part of a proud tradition of overcoming suppression, anti-democracy attacks and have to make sure that we take this inheritance of those who came before us,” O’Rourke said.
