Commissioners Court approves LBJ Student Center as voting center

Sierra Martin | Managing Editor

HAYS COUNTY — On Tuesday, August 17, the Hays County Commissioners Court approved the voting schedule and locations for the November 2, 2021, special election called by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to vote on constitutional amendments.

Although there are 37 voting centers and 13 early voting centers in the county, the discussion for the agenda item was focused primarily on if the LBJ Student Center should remain the voting location on Texas State University’s Campus.

Hays County Commissioner Precinct 4 Walt Smith voiced concerns about the LBJ Student Center being used for voting due to the lack of parking space and electioneering at the location.

“I do have a serious concern over electioneering,” said Smith. I stood there and watched people hanging out pizza with a voter list within 10 feet of where somebody was going in to vote. Telling them, here is a slice of pizza; here is who you should vote for, that is not legal.”

Some of the alternate locations discussed for voting on campus were the Performing Arts Center (PAC) or the Strahan Coliseum, which are not centrally located.

The Performing Arts Center was used in the 2020 election due to COVID-19 to allow easy accessibility to students and community members without entering the central part of campus.

Trevor Newman, President of the College Democrats at Texas State, said that students and administrators prefer voting at the LBJ Student Center.

“This commissioner’s court has been trying to alter the Texas State polling location for the entire duration of my college career,” said Newman. “Every year, I have come into this room and testified about how moving a polling location when it’s historically been located somewhere is a form of voter disenfranchisement.”

Dr. Mark Trayhan, an assistant professor of Social Work at Texas State University and Hays County Democratic Chair, advocated keeping LBJ as the voting center on Texas State’s campus due to its accessibility to students.

“It’s time for us to make decisions that are good for the people the voting center is serving, and that’s the students,” said Trayhan. “Student voices continue to ask for the LBJ student center. Let’s listen.”

The county commissioners voted to approve LBJ as the voting center for Texas State University and approved the voting schedule and locations for the November 2, 2021, special election.

Commissioner Smith voted against approving the voting locations because he does not think that the LBJ Student Center is equitable for the community.

Overall the item was approved with four commissioner court members, including Judge Becerra, voting to approve the voting centers.

The full agenda and meeting video can be found on the Hays County website.