After voting to no longer include the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, as an early voting location on July 5, The Brazos County Commissioners Court approved a measure to reimburse Texas A&M $5,000 for the cost of transporting voters from campus to the College Station City Hall.
County Judge Duane Peters, Precinct 3 Commissioner Nancy Berry and Precinct 4 Commissioner Irma Cauley voted in favor of the measure which will provide transportation from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4. Commissioners for Precincts 1 and 2 were not present at the meeting due to an ongoing dispute over a taxe rate decision which can only be passed with four members present.
Business senior Ishika Shah spoke to the commissioner’s court before the vote and said while she appreciated the court’s reimbursement, she and the students of A&M would benefit from more early voting transportation funding to accommodate class schedules.
“From my understanding the county is currently planning to fund 36 hours in early voting transportation,” Shah said. “We calculated that we would require buses for a longer period of time … The shuttle buses are not only for the voters that do not have vehicles, but also in the best interest of city traffic.”
Shah recommended that the court provide $15,303.50 in funds so the buses can operate for an estimated 115 hours instead of just 36.
No amendment to the $5,000 reimbursement was made and the agenda item passed with a unanimous vote by the present members of the court. The time and days in which the shuttles will run has not yet been determined.
