Free access to voting is the foundation of a democracy and all eligible voters should go out and vote.

College campus polling locations came under attack in September from the Tarrant County Commissioner’s office. NE, South, NW campuses, along with UTA and the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary were on the chopping block. Ultimately, a vote of 4-1 kept the locations open.

Texas is one of eight states that early in-person voting is available to all voters while voting by mail requires an eligible reason. (Early election begins on Oct. 21 and ends on Nov. 1. We urge the TCC community to use the on-campus sites to ensure that student voices are heard.)

All students, specifically community college students, have busy schedules. Some are in school and working multiple jobs and some have families that depend on them. Voting off campus would have been one more hurdle in the way.

It is simply more accessible for students to vote on campus and more comfortable to vote with their peers than finding and navigating another location.

Students find it frustrating that the cost of running polling sites and seniors’ accessibility issue are used as a reason to suppress student voices. Students and their families are taxpayers and members of the Tarrant County community and should be able to vote on campus.

Many young voters feel their vote doesn’t matter in the current political environment.

Our voices matter. They wouldn’t be trying to silence us if that weren’t the case.

People voting for the first time need as much information and access to polls as possible to complete their civic duty. District-wide election events have occurred for the last couple of weeks to educate students on election history and processes.

According to a Pew Research survey, the most critical issues for voters are the economy, health care, Supreme Court appointments, foreign policy, violent crime, immigration, gun policy and abortion. All of these have an impact on college students.

Based on The Collegian’s own research, the cost of living, foreign policy and partisanship are key issues that are on TCC students’ minds when deciding to vote.

Partisan groups in Texas are actively working to create barriers, such as trying to close polling sites. Having a free and fair election is a right some Americans take for granted. We should recognize that it’s a privilege others don’t have.

Voting is the most crucial action a citizen can take for themselves and others, such as those who are not eligible to vote international students, green card holders and the undocumented. Also, there are students who aren’t old enough to vote.

While older voters have more time and experience voting, the issues on the ballot will have more of an impact on this generation and their children than it does on the older generation.