The decision to vote or not differs from person to person, ISU students and election officials say.

“Too many people feel their vote won’t make a difference,” said Amanda Ward, junior in community health education. “I’m only one person, but I should put my two cents in.”

Ward said she was well-informed on the major races, but did not know about the candidates in the smaller races.

She said she favored the Republicans in this election, but did not vote strictly on party lines.

Bob Elbert, Nevada resident, said he voted out of habit and along party lines.

“I was over-informed,” Elbert said. “As much media coverage as there was, I think the message got pounded out from both the Democrats and Republicans.”

By 1 p.m. Tuesday, more than 170 people had voted at the Frederiksen Court polls. More than 350 people were expected to vote there before the polls closed at 9 p.m., said Karen Hansen, election official.

She said about one-third of the voters at the Frederiksen Court polls were students.

Hansen has been working at the polls for more than 12 years.

“This is higher than average turnout,” she said. “There has been a lot of pressure on the phone, people want people off their backs.”

Kris Moorman, Democratic precinct chair, said Frederiksen Court’s convenient location made it easier and more likely for ISU students to vote.

“When we lost Maple-Willow-Larch we were limited to the highway commission, the fire training location, or here,” she said. “The students are here. You need to have polling where students will vote.”

Moorman has been working at the elections for over two years.

Hansen said weather conditions may have kept certain people home.

“I was concerned about the weather when I woke up because if it’s slippery,” she said. “The older people won’t show up to vote.”

Other students were not registered to vote in Ames, or Iowa and preferred to vote by absentee ballot.

Becky Culbertson, sophomore in psychology from Minnesota, said she has voted by absentee ballot in past years, but did not vote this year.

She said television campaigns didn’t concentrate on the issues well enough this year.

“There was no one I really wanted to vote for,” she said. “I think the elections are getting more vicious and people are getting the wrong information.”