For ACU students planning to vote in the Nov. 3 general election, early voting begins Monday, Oct. 19, and runs through Friday, Oct. 30. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The deadline to register to vote in Texas for this election was Monday, Oct. 5, so students who missed it cannot register for the November election. Students who are already registered can check their registration status and find election information through VoteTexas.

Students registered in Taylor County can vote early at any early-voting location in the county. Taylor County Elections provides polling locations, hours and current election information through its Current Election page.

Students registered in their home counties may still be able to request a mail ballot, depending on whether they qualify and their county’s deadlines. In Taylor County, the Elections Office must receive written applications for a ballot by mail by Friday, Oct. 23; deadlines and eligibility rules can differ by county.

Before voting, students can review a sample ballot, research candidates and learn about the offices and measures that will appear on their ballot. Madelynn Garrett, a sophomore government major from Abilene, said researching candidates is often the most intimidating part of voting, but it is also one of the most valuable steps.

“You can literally just go on Google and be like, ‘Who is running for Senate and governor right now in Texas?’” Garrett said. “Find out what they said in the past year about what they would like to implement in Texas, what they really stand for and whether that aligns with your values.”

For students who feel disconnected from politics, voting can be a starting point for civic engagement. Garrett said voting is one of the most important ways students can use their voice.

“It is probably the most important thing you can do because it is a right given to you,” Garrett said. “If you don’t use that right, then what is it there for?”

Garrett said many students want generational change and new policies, but those changes require participation at the ballot box.

“If you don’t vote, then the people’s opinions that are voting are going to take over your life,” Garrett said. “This is your time to be able to have your voice out there and be able to vote in people that will represent you.”

Dr. Benjamin Peterson, assistant professor of government and criminal justice, said voting is one way students can participate in the communities that affect them. Rather than treating it as a required civic test, Peterson said students can view voting as an opportunity to become more involved in public life.

“I think of it as an important civic opportunity,” Peterson said. “A kind of badge of citizen membership in various communities.”

Peterson said students should not feel pressured to support a candidate simply because the candidate appears on the ballot. Students may leave a race blank if they do not have an informed position.

“I think people should earn your vote,” Peterson said. “You can vote for things that you have a view on and leave blank, you know, abstain from things that you don’t have a view on.”

However, Peterson said civic participation should not begin or end with a general election. Primary elections, local elections and political organizations give voters opportunities to participate before candidates reach a November ballot.

“Politics is shaped by the people who get involved in a sustained way,” Peterson said.

Peterson said the options voters see in general elections often are shaped months or years before Election Day.

“When we come to the general election, a lot of us are kind of like, ‘Oh, well, we only have two bad options,’” Peterson said. “But that’s because all the shaping and agenda setting has been done months, years before that, leading up to that choice.”

Primary elections often receive less attention than general elections, but they determine each party’s nominees. Students who want to influence later ballot choices can research candidates earlier, participate in primaries, attend local political-party activities or organize around issues important to them.

Garrett said she understands the frustration students may feel with a political system that often presents only two major-party choices. Still, she encouraged students not to disengage completely.

“Neither party is perfect,” Garrett said. “But definitely go toward one that you think will do good for everybody, not just yourself.”

Dissatisfaction with candidates can become a reason to participate earlier in the political process rather than a reason to disengage completely. Students can attend local meetings, connect with campaigns, discuss issues with other voters or consider public service.

“If you don’t like the candidates, maybe that means you should get involved,” Peterson said.

Garrett said students do not need to be government majors or complete internships in Washington, D.C., to make a difference. Local government, student government and community organizations offer accessible ways to begin.

“Staying local is honestly the best way to go,” Garrett said. “You can work for the mayor’s office or someone on City Council. You can join SGA, be on a board in Abilene or volunteer in the community.”

Garrett said Student Government Association is a particularly useful starting point because it mirrors the structure of government through executive, legislative and judicial branches.

“SGA doesn’t have direct politics involved, but we pass legislation,” Garrett said. “You get to work on passing bills, learn how the process works and see how things run.”

Peterson said voting can be a starting point rather than the only form of civic engagement.

“I hope voting can serve as a kind of … impetus for realizing we are involved and embedded in a lot of different communities and a lot of different arenas and avenues for collective action,” Peterson said.

Garrett said volunteering is another civic activity every college student should try because it reveals how policy and community conditions affect real people. She volunteers with Breakfast on Beech Street, a downtown Abilene program that serves breakfast and prepares lunches for people experiencing homelessness.

“You get to see there are a lot of people in Abilene who are homeless, and it’s only rising,” Garrett said. “It gives me passion to say, ‘We need to solve this homeless crisis.’ They’re not homeless just because they choose to be. This is how society is affecting them.”

Garrett said community service and volunteer work can help students understand why political engagement matters beyond Election Day.

“Volunteering shows you how politics affects people,” Garrett said. “It’s rewarding because you’re giving back to your community, and it helps you see the issues you may want to address through policy.”

Through voting and beyond, students have many opportunities to participate in civic life and take steps toward making a difference in their communities.