Only 2,780 voters cast ballots in Taylor County for the May 4th Joint City and School Election. That’s less than 5% of the county’s registered voters. On Sunday former Congressmen Beto O’Rourke encouraged residents to be active in local elections as he signed his new book at Texas Star Trading Company in Abilene.
O’Rourke’s book We’ve Got To Try focuses on the stories of Texans who have worked to fight against voter suppression. One of the key figures, Lawrence Nixon, fought the white primary law that kept African American voters from voting. “The reason I think that story is so important now is that here in 2024 we have a renewed attack on democracy and the right to vote,” O’Rourke said. "Texas today is the toughest state in the nation to be able to cast a ballot or to register to vote.”
O’Rourke has been including an opportunity to register to vote at his book signing events. He also encourages people to become deputy voter registrars, as a way to help fight voter suppression from gerrymandering, voter ID laws, and from lack of available voting places.