With the Government of the Student Body elections just more than two weeks away, the candidates are trying to convince students that who wins and who loses is important.

Sanam Qadri, GSB director of student voting, said the 2004 GSB executive election brought in more than 5,000 votes, the second-highest total ever. A survey conducted by the GSB Election Commission earlier this year found that one of the most significant reasons students did not vote in 2004 was that they were unaware of the election, Qadri said.

He said this year he wants to make sure more people are aware of the election dates, which are March 7 and 8.

The goal of the Election Commission is to increase the number of votes by 50 percent, Qadri said in a previous Daily article.

He said he plans to get flyers out to ISU students informing them of when and where to vote. Advertising in local papers and sending e-mails to faculty members urging them to mention the election during class will also help get the word out, he said.

Jim Hutter, associate professor of political science, said lack of knowledge seems to be a major reason students don’t vote at Iowa State.

“They don’t vote because they don’t know,” Hutter said.

“I can’t say that I blame them; it is up to the candidates to get to voters.”

Hutter said the candidates need to find a reason to make students care.

The candidates seem to be the same, and every year, candidates usually run on giving students more of a voice, and every year, nothing really changes.

He said it doesn’t seem to matter who is elected president of GSB.

“As far as I can tell, it hasn’t ever made a difference,” said Hutter, who has been at Iowa State for more than 35 years.

Mitchell Hayek, GSB presidential candidate, said making students more aware of what GSB does might get them more involved.

“Over the years, GSB has lost its relevance to students,” Hayek said.

Hutter said political parties could make a difference in voter turnout at Iowa State — partisan elections have higher voter turnout for a reason.

“They have to stand for something,” Hutter said.

In the years Hutter has been at Iowa State, he said, he has never heard a candidate run on the platform of keeping tuition down or bringing it back down. This is something students would actually want, he said.

Angela Groh, GSB presidential candidate, said she thinks it does matter who gets elected into the executive slate.

“You want somebody who will listen to the students and really figure out what the students want,” she said.

Groh said the president of GSB is one person who represents the student body.

The administration, the community and the Statehouse all see this person as Iowa State and hold this person accountable, she said.

Henry Alliger, GSB presidential candidate, said it both doesn’t matter and does matter who is president of GSB.

“GSB will continue to operate efficiently no matter who sits in that chair,” Alliger said

On the other hand, he said, it does matter because GSB will follow the direction the president wishes to take.

A motivated and passionate person in office would help GSB a lot, he said.

“The impact that one person can have on the organization is huge,” he said.