‘Su voto es su voz’

Editor’s note: We reached out to the UTRGV college republicans and the UTRGV chapter for Turning Point USA. We weren’t able to get a response in a timely manner. 

Voting is important for the simple fact of participating in democracy, especially for those who want a say in their local government and/or federal government. The last day to register to vote for the midterms in Texas is Oct. 30. Election day is on Nov. 3. 

On voting stats 

Abrahm McKee, history and political science junior and president of the UTRGV College Democrats, said “well, I think it’s certainly the case for every democracy…if you don’t vote, then decisions get decided by the select few who do.” 

McKee added elections used to be dominated by older citizens, but nowadays, you’re seeing these young people turn out for the polls.

He said age is not the issue, but because older citizens show up, the results favored their views. 

Ballotpedia documented that during the 2022 midterm elections, only about 41.8% of the voting-eligible population voted.

In the 2024 general elections, the voting-age population was 23,513,616, and of that population, about 20,059,077 were eligible to vote. But only about 56.83% voted. 

There is a common misconception that people’s singular vote doesn’t matter. When touching on this with Alvaro Corral, assistant professor of political science, he said people who consider themselves to be in what they call a political minority seem to be frustrated and don’t vote at all. 

 “[Political minority] can mean just being a supporter of the party that’s maybe struggling to wield power,” Corral said. “So the most obvious parallel here is being a democrat in the state of Texas.”

On Upcoming midterms: who’s on the ballot

The Midterm general elections, according to the U.S. Vote Foundation, is an election about congress where 435 House of Representatives and 100 Senate seats open. The midterm elections fall between the two-year mark, usually after the four-year presidential general election. 

Democrats have not won statewide office in Texas for over 30 years. People can feel discouraged to vote if they fall under the “political minority.” 

“I think it’s the sort of silver lining that they can look at…it goes to show why people need to vote because the votes need to be counted and anything can happen on election day,” Corral said. 

Elections for the midterms are on Nov. 3 where voters will choose between Republican candidate Ken Paxton and Democratic candidate James Talarico for the U.S. Senate seat.  

For the Governor position, Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott and Democratic candidate Texas House of Representatives Gina Hinojosa. 

A poll done by Texas Pulse, a public opinion research institute, showed that Talarico is leading in the race for U.S. Senate. In June, Talarico and Paxton were tied, both polling at 46%. 

Abbott and Hinojosa, both running for governor, are almost tied. In June, Abbott was six points ahead of Hinojosa, but as of August, Abbott was polling at 46% and Hinojosa was polling at 45%. 

Vaquero voices

Mia Diaz-Aleman, a Mexican American studies and human dimensions of organizations junior, said she has yet to believe in voting polls. 

Diaz-Aleman is also a Texas Volunteer Deputy Registrar (VDR). A VDR is a trained, certified individual appointed by county voter registrars and is tasked with helping increase voter registration in the state. 

“In life, we will always have a winner and a loser. But the whole concept is to ensure that if you have a feeling about what’s going on in the economy or how you feel based on your morals and ethics, this ensures that your voice is heard,” Diaz-Aleman said. 

Corral added that President Trump’s approval rating is at 33%, which Corral attributes to something called “the three I’s.”

The three I’s consist of the ramifications of ICE, the rise in inflation, and the war in Iran. 

“Those three factors have, I think, led to a rather low presidential rating. And I think that’s dragging down Republicans nationwide,” said Corral.

McKee said It’s an immensely positive and reassuring idea that they can see a statewide position flip to blue that hasn’t been flipped in over 30 years.

Diaz-Aleman said she thinks about the future and the weight that is being placed on younger generations. 

“I am going to be 43 years old, and when I look at everybody on campus, most of these people are younger than me. I’m just like, damn…the heavy weight that they’re gonna have to deal with.” 

Diaz-Aleman thinks UTRGV could advertise the polling sites more. 

“I feel like we should advertise more throughout the Bronc Trails, a big banner, saying don’t forget to vote,” she said. “Not that the university’s trying to shove it down your throat to go vote, but if you’re walking around campus, you’re like, maybe I should go vote.” 

On how to vote and where. 

For those who don’t know where to start when it comes to looking for a candidate to stand behind, you can look up a candidate’s website and look for what policies align with your own morals. You can also go to the Hidalgo County or Cameron County Registrar and look for a sample ballot. 

The sample ballot is a PDF document that shows you what the ballot’s going to look like in your precinct. Each Hidalgo and Cameron County has different sample ballots.  

Corral said to think of it as seeing the exam before you take it. 

This will allow you to check who is running more locally and do more research on them if needed. 

The candidate who wins this respected race will represent Texas for two years.

“A very important figure from the Chicana movement here from Texas, named Willie Velasquez, in the 1980s, registered thousands of Mexican Americans throughout Texas to vote.” Corral said, “And one of his favorite and most famous quotes is ‘Su voto es su voz,’ which is ‘your vote is your voice’.” 

The last day to register to vote is Oct 30, and the midterm elections are on Nov 3. Check which county you belong in to find the nearest polling site to you at texascountiesdeliver.org.