Ximena Novoa y Zepeda

A Chicago native in Texas.

Ximena Novoa y Zepeda moved to Austin in the summer of 2019. Excited to start visiting all the classic spots and try all the food trucks but realized she needed to get the not-so fun stuff in order first: paperwork and IDs.

In Illinois, voting is at the forefront of many reforms in the works. Already allowing online voter registration, same day registration, allowing student IDs to vote, the state of Illinois has taken major steps to reform and modernize voting.

“Texas needs to empower those who have had their voice silenced for too long- not impose penalties for making mistakes that doesn’t make people want to vote.”

Zepeda explains the importance of the initiatives Illinois has taken to include youth in voting, “Chicago actively works on civic engagement, whether it’s through schools, clubs, or even organizations. Also, Chicago asks people to vote through advertising as well, which is what a lot of places don’t do.”

There is a huge contrast between Illinois to Texas when it comes to the steps to get registered and vote. Texas has restricted eligible voters by restricting what can be used as an ID when voting, as well as not offering online or same-day registration.

Zepeda recalls Texas sounding unopened and uninviting to new eligible voters because of its restrictions and unwillingness to innovate. “Texas needs to empower those who have had their voice silenced for too long- not impose penalties for making mistakes that doesn’t make people want to vote.”

“It allows people from all backgrounds to have access in taking part of their civic duty.”

Texas has pledged to make voting secure and accessible for all but that promise contradicts the state’s repeated actions to suppress the vote and bad legislation. “Implementing online voter registration and same day registration is of importance because it allows people from all backgrounds to have access in taking part of their civic duty. If there are not many opportunities to register to vote, people are not going to try to register,” Zepeda says.

The strict laws and penalties in Texas deter new and young voters from trying to vote. “Too many times the youth has heard that they don’t matter because they are young and thus have no clue of what goes on in government -but this is a false idea that has been put on youth for too long, and that’s exactly what Chicago has done differently.” Zepeda hopes Texas can make changes and be ahead of the curve like her home state and many others have done.

“Limited access to voting registration, and the less they are being offered to register, will result in less people voting. Texas needs to empower people, make them interested in voting, and offer the opportunities to register,” Zepeda says.