American politician Beto O’Rourke will be at Rudder Theater on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. as a part of his Ready to Vote Tour. O’Rourke will discuss voting rights and how students can get involved in the upcoming general election on Nov. 5.

O’Rourke’s visit follows his previous visits to other college campuses, including on that saw the politician visit the University of Texas at Austin, Texas State and the University of Houston earlier this week. The tour will end at the University of North Texas on Sept. 23. 

The visit is sponsored by Aggie Democrats, the Democratic party’s on-campus student organization. Hosted by Powered by People, a political action committee founded by O’Rourke in 2019, the tour aims to register students to vote and encourages political participation.

“We’ve registered 250,000 Texans to vote,” Powered by People’s website reads. “We’ve called, texted and most importantly, met voters — at their doorsteps and in their communities — to make sure they understand that their vote is key.”

The Rudder Theatre speech will be the politician’s second visit to Texas A&M’s campus this semester. O’Rourke visited during the first week of classes with volunteer deputy registrars to similarly encourage student voting. 

“Texas ranks dead last in ease of voting,” O’Rourke said. “It’s harder to cast a ballot. It’s harder to register to vote than in any other state. And I think it’s because those in power fear the future. They don’t want to hear the voice of young people.”