By Colt Langley/managing editor
Early voting on TCC campuses for the midterm elections saw an increase in voter turnout compared to the 2006 elections, according to Tarrant County election numbers.
As a whole, the district had about 2,000 people cast votes. Campuses across the district had higher numbers of voters. TR Campus was the only campus that did not offer early voting.
SE Campus had the largest pull of voters for the district with 853. In the last election in 2006, 381 voted on SE.
“It might partially be because toward Grand Prairie and that area we have fewer locations because we’re getting close to the Tarrant County border on the outskirts,” voter registration clerk Robi McGehee said. “So that could contribute to higher numbers of voters. Also, in the final days of early voting, the numbers tend to rise.”
NE Campus had the second-highest total with 390 voters compared to 321 four years ago.
“It was very successful. We had almost 400 people come out to vote,” NE student development associate Karen Raulerson said. “It’s the most I’ve ever seen in the four years I’ve been here. Our student political awareness club got about 200 people to register to vote.”
Tarrant County early voting coordinator Yolanda Ramirez said officials have no precise way to measure why more voters decided to show.
“It depends on who’s on the ballot. It could be just because there are more students on campus taking advantage,” Ramirez said.
