With Ames City Council elections just around the corner, expectations for increased student voter turnout in Story County are high.

Government of the Student Body Off-Campus Senator Drew Miller said he has high hopes for Tuesday’s election.

“In general, the turnout for city elections is lower, [but] I think the turnout for this election is going to be much higher than in the past,” Miller said.

Miller helped coordinate a voter drive at Iowa State and said even though student groups started getting students registered to vote later than usual, there were still a number of students who registered by the Oct. 24 deadline.

“[The voter drive] was the efforts of thousands of volunteers and done with the help of numerous student groups,” Miller said.

About 750 students registered to vote, and about 300 absentee ballot requests were made, he said.

Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco said he noticed more effort was put into getting students registered to vote this year, but said he has doubts about students actually showing up to the polls.

“If it’s historically anything like the past, it’s going to be pretty low,” Tedesco said.

Tedesco said a good way for students to express their opinion on the actions of City Council is by voting.

“This is where [the students] spend most of their year; this is their community,” Tedesco said.

Judie Hoffman, who has been on City Council for 16 years and currently holds the at-large seat, said she is optimistic about the elections but curious to find out who will come out on top.

“I think we’re all waiting to see what happens,” Hoffman said.

At the beginning of the race, four ISU students were running for council positions, but Casey Harvey, senior in finance, and Greg Velasquez, junior in elementary education, dropped out of the running this past Sunday and Monday, respectively. Now both former candidates are supporting Matthew Goodman for the at-large seat.

GSB Off-Campus Senator Cara Harris said students are more aware of this election because students are running.

“I think they are a little bit more aware as to what City Council can mean and what it can do,” Harris said.

“I think the attention by the media will make students more aware of the election.”

Matt Denner, senior in political science, is running for the fourth ward seat on the council and Nate Johnston, junior in finance and current ex officio member of the City Council, is running for the at-large seat.

Miller said because students are running for council, more people are going to be motivated to vote.

“More students will feel that their vote will make a difference,” he said.

Harris says students don’t have the right to complain if they don’t go to the polls.

“You really can’t bitch unless you vote,” she said.

Dani Dunham, deputy auditor of elections for Story County, said in 2001, 242 people between the ages of 18 and 24 voted in the Ames city election. This year, 11,642 people in the same age bracket are registered to vote and 633 people have requested an absentee ballot.