On November 4, Texas will have its first new governor in fourteen years. Many of our students have been alive nearly as long as Rick Perry has been in office. Now, many have the right to vote for their next leader. Getting a new governor is something Texas has not seen in a while, and the entire state should care, especially our students.

Whether we elect Republican candidate Greg Abbott or Democratic candidate Wendy Davis, they will represent our state for the next four years. By then, some of our freshman will have the right to vote and the rest of our student body will be adults. This means the elected governor will enact policies that will directly affect our entire student body, and we should be careful and pay attention to who we put in the office.

Early voting has already started statewide to allow anyone who cannot make it on Election Day. Austin is expecting a 60% voter turnout on Election Day. That is one of the lucky cities, as many counties across the state are expecting 40% or less. That is a dismal turnout, and we should use our right to vote, as it is a very important part of our country.

Democracy is what differentiated America from the rest of the world when it was first formed. Most Americans only vote for the president every four years, and do not pay attention to anything else. Wendy Davis’ campaign is targeted at just these people, and there has been single digit percent raises in our six largest counties, including more democratic cities like Dallas, Austin, and Houston. More than 7,000 new voters are here in San Antonio.

Once these Texans decide they want to vote, they need to look at each candidate views and make a decision instead of just voting for a certain party. Texas has a mixed primary system – voters do not have to register with a party. But once you vote during a primary, you must sign a pledge saying you will not side with another party that year. Because of this law, it allows Texans to be more flexible with what party they vote for and allow them more chances to carefully look at each candidate’s views.

Voting is a relatively simple and painless task, involving only registering and going to their local polling place. Early voting makes it even more convenient by letting voters go when they choose and avoid potential lines. Our new governor will surely affect our state and the people who should care most are the younger population. Their decisions and party can potentially change our state and we should pay attention instead of ignoring every election that is not the president.