Why Prairie View A&M Students Are Suing Waller County over Alleged Voter Suppression

[TexasTowelie]

Students at Prairie View A&M University have filed a federal lawsuit alleging Waller County is suppressing the voting rights of its black residents.

“The plaintiffs at Prairie View A&M, which is a predominately black school, are alleging that the county is not providing the same access to early voting on campus as it is in other parts of the county which are predominately white,” Teddy Rave, George Butler Research Professor at the University of Houston Law Center, told Houston Matters.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed the lawsuit in Houston on Monday on behalf of a group of five students. The lawsuit argues the county is violating the Voting Rights Act and the U.S. Constitution by not providing early voting locations on campus or in the city of Prairie View during the first week of early voting, which began on Monday.

“Since at least the early 1970s, Waller County has consistently tried to limit the political power of Black voters in the City of Prairie View and at Prairie View A&M specifically by undermining their right to vote,” LDF Deputy Director of Litigation, Leah Aden, said in a statement.

Read more: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/shows/houston-matters/2018/10/24/309193/why-prairie-view-am-students-are-suing-waller-county-over-alleged-voter-suppression/

[raging moderate]

1. Well, good for them!

I hope they get their voting rights!

By the way, what does "A & M" stand for? Does anybody here know?

[Ilsa]

2. Agricultural and Mechanical.

At the main campus in College Station, majors were historically farm and engineering related - vet graduate school, multiple disciplines regarding farming crops, animal husbandry, etc. Now the main campus is truly a university.

[TexasTowelie]

4. I was they would promote the Liberal Arts

and had a few more liberal professors in the Political Science and History departments.

[raging moderate]

5. Thank you!

I have been wondering about that for awhile. It sounds like a great place!

[MichMan]

3. Not sure, Agriculture & Mining ?

I certainly respect the importance of engaging college students to vote where they can.

I do recall when I attended a major large college in the Midwest. The college was substantially larger than the city it was located in and the votes of the students could overwhelm those who were longtime city residents and homeowners on local issues

[Ilsa]

6. Mechanical, not Mining. nt

[LeftInTX]

7. They only had three days at South Texas State

There are no other Early Vote sites close to campus.

[LeftInTX]

8. Prairie View A&M is getting longer hours

And South Texas State got Early Voting extended after Hays County was taken to court this morning.