The week after Brazos County commissioners create a committee to study future locations of voting centers, they hear from four Texas A&M students who want the memorial student center (MSC) returned on a permanent basis.
Two students said but did not provide statistics to show how moving the site of early voting for last November’s general election from the MSC to College Station city hall reduced turnout on election day.
Brazos County elections administrator Trudy Hancock told WTAW News you can not compare turnout in one election cycle with another.
All four students brought up the lack of transportation preventing students from leaving campus to go to College Station city hall during last November’s early voting.
Hancock told WTAW News that there were not as many students as expected who took advantage of a free shuttle bus between campus and city hall during early voting.
The students were not told that there is a committee to study future voting center locations, where members includes a representative of Texas A&M student affairs.
Hancock, who is on the 13 member committee, said they will have recommendations this summer, before election judges are appointed this summer for this fall’s election.
Click below to hear comments from the February 28, 2023 Brazos County commission meeting and Trudy Hancock’s visit with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.