Students may have more of a reason to vote in Story County in the upcoming City Council election than in the past.

Off-campus Senator Drew Miller, leader of a Government of the Student Body student registration and voter initiative drive cited strength in numbers, lack of student representation, student concerns over ordinances and students running for Ames City Council seats as some of the reasons why voting in Story County is more beneficial to students than voting in their home county.

“Right now there is a lack of student representation on the City Council, which is greatly needed,” Miller said. “Unless you vote in Story County, you can’t control who represents you and whether you will be represented.”

Miller said students should vote in the Nov. 4 City Council election because it’s the most unique and important election happening in any city in Iowa this year.

“I don’t know of anywhere else in Iowa where such an election of fundamental importance is occurring,” Miller said. “It’s more important to vote in Ames than anywhere else in Iowa because students or young people’s representation is less of on an issue everywhere else.

“At home, for most students it might be a lack of minority representation, where as here it’s a lack of representation for about half of the Ames community.”

Miller said he believes the student vote in Ames will be extremely influential this year.

“Voting here will be significant because over the past year students have been increasingly concerned over ordinances being passed and enforced by non-students to the detriment of students,” he said. “A student vote here means accomplishing student input into city ordinances directly affecting them, and hopefully students will get out enough votes to change things for their benefit.”

Miller said having four students running for City Council positions will make the job of the voter registration committee easier, because having students on the ballot will make the election more relevant and personal to students.

“They can now more clearly see the point in voting,” he said.

The point of the voter registration drive is just to get students to vote — not to get students to vote for students, Miller said.

“We’re not here to support or get a particular candidate elected. It’s up to voters to decide who they endorse,” he said. “We also understand some students want to vote in their home county and we are willing to get them registered there. It would be contrary to our goal to discourage anyone from voting.”

Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco, said Ames is students’ hometown.

“[Students] are citizens here in Ames, according to the Census Bureau, because they spend a majority of the year living here,” Tedesco said. “If you live here for nine months plus, you should be interested in what goes on in Ames and partake in the process of developing the community.”

He said students should have an active part in the Ames community, which includes voting in Ames city elections.

Story County Auditor Mary Mosiman said just getting students to vote is important, whether in Ames or in a student’s home county.

“Anything the auditor’s office can do to help in the campaign we would be willing to do,” Mosiman said. “I applaud the effort because voting is a very precious right and when [students are] in that booth, they have a lot of power.”

Only nine students voted in the school board election — a turnout in which Mosiman said she was very disappointed.

“I don’t know why there is voter apathy among students, because they live here and they are affected by decisions made by officials,” she said.

Students can pick up forms for voter registration in Story County at the GSB office or at GSB meetings held at 7 p.m. every Wednesday in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union. Students interested in volunteering for the voter registration drive can contact Miller by e-mail at [email protected].