Although there was a marked increase in student voting in the past general city election, the number of students who turned out to the polls was still low, according to voting results from the Story County Auditor’s Office.

Voting among Ames’ 18- to 24-year-old residents increased 118 percent from the last general city election held in 2001, with 318 more students having voted in the past city election.

However, only 587 of 9,120 registered 18- to 24-year-olds in Ames voted, or 6.5 percent.

Voter turnout for Ames as a whole was low as well, with 12 percent of eligible residents voting.

City of Ames and Government of the Student Body officials attributed the increase in student voting to student candidates running for council positions for the first time, student interest and concern about recently passed city ordinances and the efforts of GSB’s ISU Vote.

“I think having students run in this election seemed to indicate to students that the election was more relevant,” said GSB Chairman of ISU Vote Drew Miller, whose committee registered 1,050 students in time for the election.

Matthew Goodman, runoff candidate for the at-large position, said he believes current city issues drew students to the polls.

“I think students felt their freedoms were being impeded upon by the city with certain ordinance rulings and enforcements last year and this year, which maybe led them to view this election as a special election,” Goodman said.

Miller said he believes many students don’t consider themselves citizens of Ames.

“For people who are here four to five years, they don’t see City Council elections affecting them,” he said. “I think it’s a lot harder to get students involved in city politics when they don’t consider themselves citizens of Ames.”

Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco said the city has always been inclusive to students by opening board and commission positions to students, welcoming students to attend council meetings and posting contact information for city officials on the city of Ames Web site, which allows student to reach officials.

He said involvement in the community takes time and commitment on the part of students. It can be difficult for students to dedicate that time and commitment while being busy with school work, he said.

“There’s only so much the city can do. We can’t make them come, it takes effort on their part as well,” Tedesco said.

“They just don’t have the interest and that’s typical for students, as we’ve seen them in the past not being politically active, especially in local politics.”

Miller said he questions whether the efforts the city is making, such as creating programs geared toward students, are genuine.

“I don’t think this ever is something that will be fully addressed, because the fact is students will be leaving Ames at some point, so some students will always have the mentality that since they’ll be leaving there won’t be enough time or importance for them to be involved in city politics,” he said.

Miller said it will be a challenge to get people to vote in the Dec. 2 runoff because it falls during a time people are typically settling in after Thanksgiving break.

“It’s a busy time for people so it will be even harder than it already is to get people motivated to vote in the runoff,” said Mary Ann Lundy, at-large candidate.

Miller said his committee will be working to register students to vote and raise awareness of the upcoming election by making phone calls to every student on campus registered to vote in Ames. The committee will also give presentations at the beginning of some classes to remind students.

“I’d hope this election will be easier for students to vote in because it should be easier to understand with only two candidates,” Miller said. “I think a lot of students think their votes don’t matter, but with forcing a runoff, it’s shown their votes do matter.”

Twenty-two votes separated Goodman and Lundy in the first election.