Former U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke spoke to a full audience at the Evans Auditorium as part of his Ready to Vote tour across Texas college campuses Tuesday, Sept. 17.

The event was held on National Voter Registration Day, a bipartisan campaign to register voters ahead of major elections. The objective of the event was to get students registered to vote for the 2024 November general elections.

Texas State College Democrats President Averyann Guggenheim said she has been working for weeks to prepare for the event for students.

“I don’t think young people realize how much politics influences our lives. Our day-to-day lives are actually run by politics,” Guggenheim said. ”Transportation… is part of politics. Our student debt? Politics. Getting medication? Politics. It is so important for people to become aware of that.”

O’Rourke encouraged the crowd of Texas State students to participate not only in the presidential election but also in local elections.

“Political power is built from the bottom up,” O’Rourke said. “Too often we become overly enamored by the presidential nominee at the top of the ticket.”

As students waited in line to enter Evans Auditorium, they had the opportunity to register to vote at several stations set up nearby. Local political officials were also present, engaging with attendees and encouraging them to take an active role in upcoming local elections.

“One could argue that your vote for city council representatives, board of trustees, county commissioner, state representative, all have greater immediate bearing on your life than your vote for president, senator or congress,” O’Rourke said.

Rebecca Minnick, candidate for Hays County Commissioner Precinct 3, was in attendance to meet and speak with students. She is currently serving her third term on the Wimberley City Council Place 1 and as mayor pro tem.

“Down ballot [issues] affect you every single day,” Minnick said. “When you are taking your bike to the university, if you don’t have a bike lane, talk to a local official about that. If you don’t have water coming out of your spout, that’s a local issue – it’s not a Washington issue.”

O’Rourke said the event was not aimed at rallying support for any single political party. Instead, he highlighted its broader purpose of engaging voters across the board, focusing on the importance of participation in the democratic process regardless of political affiliation.

O’Rourke said he chose Texas State as a stop on his Ready to Vote tour because of his admiration for the campus’s diverse viewpoints, noting that students there often pose some of the most challenging and thought-provoking questions.

“I appreciate the level of intellectual rigor, independence and devotion to this state and country [at Texas State],” O’Rourke said.

The former congressman has visited Texas State consistently for the past seven years, with Tuesday’s event marking his second appearance this fall.

Guggenheim said voter registration events are crucial for helping young people make their voices heard through their vote.

“Voting is the cornerstone of democracy- the most powerful tool young people have to shape the future of our communities…. Every vote represents a choice, a vision, of what kind of society we want to build. The power to create change lies in the ballot box. Never let that opportunity slip away,” Guggenheim said.

According to a Sept. 16 email from Texas State’s Division of Student Success, voter registration cards are available at the front desks of all residence halls, LBJ Student Center Info Desk and the Student Involvement and Engagement Desk.

For more information on voter registration, visit the Texas Secretary of State’s website.