With just 38 days until the November midterm elections, campaign season is in full swing with early voting and candidates, including Jim Mowrer, are out spreading their messages.

Congressional hopeful Jim Mowrer, an Iraq war veteran and former Pentagon assistant, was on Iowa State’s campus Sept. 25 outside of Parks Library. Mowrer, running against incumbent Steve King for Representative of Iowa’s fourth district, spoke to students and answered questions about registering to vote and why the upcoming midterm election is important.

“Early voting began today, Sept. 25. We’re about 40 days out, so essentially every day until November 4th is election day,” Mowrer said. “It’s a very easy way to make sure your voice is heard. Voting is the basic duty as a citizen and so it’s great that it’s an easy thing to do. You can do it in person or request an absentee ballot.”

Along with urging students to register and vote, Mowrer did some campaigning, including talking to students about the differences between him and his opponent, Rep. Steve King. He talked about education affordability and pell grants, job creation and opportunities and raising the minimum wage.

“If young people voted at the same rate as older people, you would hear a lot more of their issues addressed,” Mowrer said. “All of these issues would be discussed more if young people voted at a higher rate. So their participation is critical if they care about the future. Voting is critical to that.”

ISU students were able to stop by and ask Mowrer questions. Students like Amanda Teel, junior in biology, agreed with Mowrer’s sentiments that voting is an important activity in which students should participate.

“This election is head-to-head right now. It’s very close between a lot of the candidates,” Teel said. “It potentially has control of who will control the Senate right now, so it’s very important to get informed. We are the future of this nation and these people will be in control, so I think it’s very important to get involved, learn about the candidates and voice your opinion.”

Voter turnout tends to be lower in a midterm, which doesn’t feature a Presidential Election. According to the Iowa Secretary of State, 73.3 percent of registered voters in Iowa cast a ballot in the 2012 elections. That number is significantly higher than the last midterm election in 2010, where only 52.9 percent of registered voters cast a ballot.

Students who gathered to meet Mowrer said it’s just as important to vote this November.

“This election is important because a lot of people don’t come and vote in [the Midterm elections] because they don’t think it’s important,” said Madeline El-Baroudi, sophomore in English. “Really these candidates are more at state level so we get to deal with them personally. We want to work with people we are compatible with. I don’t think that has happened the last few elections.”

El-Baroudi also said students should choose a candidate that will represent them.

“I think it’s important. We need to be close with our politicians,” El-Baroudi said. “These people are representing us in Congress. They are running our entire state so we really need to get on that.”

Mowrer is challenging U.S. Rep. Steve King, a six-term Republican from Storm Lake, this November for a seat in the US House of Representatives from Iowa’s fourth congressional district. Polling from Loras College earlier this month showed King with an 11-point lead over Mowrer.

Election Day is Nov. 4. Students can request an absentee ballot from their home addresses or register to vote in Ames on Election Day.