Early voting records have been broken this week throughout Texas, just like in many other areas of the country. Thanks to strategic polling locations, it has never been easier to cast your ballot.

Early voting began in Texas on Monday and will go through Oct. 31. Imagine this: You can put on your Halloween costume on the last day of early voting, cast your ballot and head off to your first party. That is, of course, if you wait to the last minute. Hopefully you won’t because reports of long lines at polling stations have been common, but it does beat the alternative of standing in line throughout Election Day.

The Austin American-Statesman reported more than 24,000 people voted on the first day, compared to about 16,000 in the 2004 election. The University of Texas-Austin was one of those heavily-trafficked polling places bringing in more than a thousand voters Monday.

For students attending universities across the state, voting has never been easier. Many counties make universities one of many spots to early vote and with good reason. Where else can you find thousands of ready and willing voters?

For students who live on campus and don’t have a car, it can’t get any more convenient. Unless you really, really hate walking up big hills like those at my university, there is not a good excuse to miss out on voting. Students are not the only ones who benefit from such strategic placement polls, either. The hundreds of faculty and staff at universities also get to take advantage of early voting polls without leaving work.

University of North Texas, Texas A&M University, Texas State University-San Marcos and Texas Christian University all have on-campus polling places. Many of the polling stations at these universities are set up throughout the early voting period.

If you want to avoid the line on campus, the easiest place to find a polling location can be a click away. The Secretary of State of Texas has a Web site dedicated totally to voting called VOTEXAS.org. The great thing about early voting in Texas is you can vote at any of the polling sites. It isn’t until Election Day that voters are restricted to one polling location. It is just another reason to take advantage of early voting.

Once you have decided to early vote, all you have to bring with you is your voter registration card, which is a pretty orange color this year, or a valid driver’s license. If you want to find out more about what candidates or measures are on the ballot, read my entire blog. Just kidding. You can go to Project Vote Smart to help you out.