Election Day has finally arrived, bringing in swarms of excited and anxious students with questions concerning what could possibly be the biggest presidential election in American history.
Poll doors opened today at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 tonight.
It is too late for absentee and early voting, but students who are already registered must go to the address in the precinct in which they are currently registered.
“The campus is split into four different precincts, and there are quite a few within the county,” Bearkat Democrats president Caleb White said.
Vital precinct numbers are located on registration cards.
Those who do not have their registration card should call the Walker County Annex to give a residential address in order to know their precinct number and location, or look for their voting location online.
“The best thing to do is to go to the Texas Secretary of State Website,” Dr. Tamara Waggener of the political science department said. “Go to voter info, [then] ‘Am I Registered’ and type in your Texas Driver’s License number for all the information for their precinct.”
President of College Republicans Scott Wylie said that he has seen a noticeable increase of interest in this election among students at Sam Houston State.
“I’ve never seen more student involvement than this year; its record breaking,” he said.
Some marvel with excitement at this election, but others who are unsatisfied by either candidate feel like expressing themselves by not voting.
“We are against that message; saying you are not going to vote is really heart-breaking,” Wylie said.
Others feel like their vote does not count.
“Like all good Political Science professors, I encourage you to vote,” Professor Biles Robert said. “The chances of your vote making a difference in a presidential election is small, however in lower elections, sometimes one vote does make a difference.”
Robert said he understands the perspective of those who feel like they should not vote blindly in this election if they are unaware of the candidates stances, but he encourages students to take political group interests in consideration.
“Make an effort to inform yourself. It makes good sense to rely on good indicators,” Robert said. “For example if you identify with one party or the other, voting that party makes sense. Voting on party lines are better than [voting] on basis of names.”