Beto O’Rourke’s volunteer-led organization, Powered By People, set up in the Mall Monday, April 27, to ensure students are registered to vote, update voter registration information and register students to vote.
O’Rouke founded the organization in 2019 and travels throughout the state visiting college campuses and communities to encourage voters to exercise their right. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2018, U.S. president in 2020 and Texas governor in 2022.
“The whole goal of this is to make sure that young people are using their power to vote, to change this state and the country for the better,” O’Rourke said. “My theory of the case is that if more young people voted in more elections, we would have much, much better policies in Texas, much better outcomes for the people of Texas, a much better future for those who have the most to gain or to lose based on what happens in the state.”
Volunteers enter a voter’s phone number and zip code through the Reach app, where they can see if voters are registered to vote, and reach out to them through their database to remind them about upcoming elections and organizing events.
“I’m 76 years old, and I know that these younger people that are here with us right now are the ones that are going to move this country forward.” volunteer Mary Lanoue, a SAC alumni and media advisory board member for the Radio-Television and Film department, said. “We need everyone to get out and vote, no matter what your political stance is.”
Students and faculty lined up to meet O’Rourke and discuss the current political and social climate. Music education major Dametrius Delgado said he is looking forward to what’s in store for younger generations having political power.
“We’re going to be the ones taking power of the government, and we need to at least be educated enough to have a functioning government and to make our lives better, not just for us but for the generations to come as well,” Delgado said.
