The Brazos County Commissioner’s Court voted unanimously to approve a list of voting times, six early voting locations and 24 Election Day voting locations on July 11. 

The six early voting locations include the Brazos County Election Administrator Office, Arena Hall, Galilee Baptist Church, College Station Utilities Meeting & Training Facility and the Memorial Student Center, or MSC, Room L526

The Commissioner’s Court previously voted to remove the MSC, located on Texas A&M’s campus, as an early voting location for the previous midterm election in July 2022. Precinct 3 Commissioner Nancy Berry cited complaints from non-student voters that had trouble navigating the campus and a lack of poll workers. 

“Most of the poll workers are older, they’re retired and they just frankly can’t get enough poll workers,” Berry said. “You need seven poll workers per location. We had a number of polling chairmen come to our meeting when we decided this and said that if you don’t have seven it’s just a very long, laborious process.”

A&M students and multiple advocacy groups spoke out against the decision during the following meetings, expressing concerns that voting would be less accessible for students. 

“This decision will be disenfranchising hundreds of faculty, staff and, of course, students and their ability to vote early and easily,” then-biology senior Kristina Samuel said. “In 2020, 80% of Brazos County voted early. Students in particular enjoy early voting since we’re able to vote in between classes with much shorter lines.”

Environmental studies senior Brennen Cwatanaphol spoke to the commissioners before Tuesday’s vote. Cwatanaphol said they were disappointed in last year’s decision but was glad the MSC would return as an early voting location.

“I would also like to recognize the work that the court has done for this session, we appreciate this, [the MSC] is being recommended and voted on this time,” Cwatanaphol said. “Voting should be easy. It is the responsibility of our local politicians and leaders to ensure greater access to the voting booth by creating voting commissions that favor education and registration, sparking lifelong patterns of civic engagement.”

The full list of Election Day voting locations can be found below: