Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) visited campus Sept. 23 to join the University Democrats in registering students to vote at the Union Breezeway.

The event comes a few weeks before the Oct. 6 deadline to register to vote in the upcoming midterm election.

Jose Villalobos, associate professor of political science and advisor for the University Democrats, estimated that around 100 UTEP students were registered during the event.

“So much of what we focus on in congress is determined by who votes. If young people don’t vote issues that young people care about…don’t get talked about,” O’Rourke said. “There are so few people that choose to vote that when you choose to make that decision you have an outsized impact.”

O’Rourke said that in the hour he had been at the event he had taken dozens of pictures with students that registered to vote.

Volunteers from Battleground Texas, a grassroots organization for democratic gubernatorial nominee Wendy Davis, also attended the event.

Maria Esquinca may be reached at theprospectordaily.news.com