The Voter Registration Booth at West Texas A&M University offered students the chance to register to vote.

The voting booth at West Texas A&M University was an opportunity for students who are not registered to vote in their hometowns, to be able to in Canyon, TX.

On Sept. 1, 2021, WTAMU held a voting booth, sponsored by Powered by the People, and these booths were encouraging students to register. The individuals manning the booths were Volunteer Deputy Registrars.

What is a Volunteer Deputy Registrar (VDR)?

Volunteer Deputy Registrar’s are on the frontlines to encourage people to vote. According to the Texas Secretary of State site,  “upon satisfactorily completing training and examination”, an individual would be able to be a Volunteer Deputy Registrar.

To begin, it is interesting to note that Volunteer Deputy Registrars are important for elections. Shannon Lackey, elections administrator for Randall County notes that is is important to keep track of who is registered to vote, and a team of volunteers is helpful, as is noted by the Texas Secretary of State website.

In an interview with Shannon Lackey, Elections Administrator for Randall County, Lackey said, “We maintain the voter rolls daily. We conduct all elections including the city of Amarillo.”

Being a VDR comes with a lot of responsibility, and it is not one person but a whole team of individuals who participate in the elections process.

What is interesting about what Lackey said, is that she has been in the field for, “15 years, and for nine years as an Elections Administrator.” There is a consistency with being a part of elections, and keeping track of the voting records in the county. The Texas Secretary of State website also notes “they are appointed by county voter registrars and charged with helping increase voter registration in the state.”

The Texas Secretary of State website has information on what it is like to be a VDR as well. “The acceptance of the duties of a Volunteer Deputy Registrar places you in a position of trust and responsibility,” writes the Texas Secretary of State report on VDR’s.

Furthermore, on the website of Powered by the People, it states that, “Electing leaders who truly represent the people of Texas will take an army of volunteers who can register all three million people eligible – and then make sure they turn out in the next election.”

The above by Powered by the People highlights the importance of Volunteer Deputy Registrars. whose main job is to encourage people to register to vote. The booth at WTAMU was sponsored by Powered by the People, but the importance of registering to vote stretches beyond political party, as is noted by the length of time Lackey has been an elections administrator and also the responsibility of being a Volunteer Deputy Registrar, highlighted by the Texas Secretary of State website.