It’s difficult to get students to “rock” the vote. Seventeen percent of 18- to 24-year-olds in Story County are registered voters, but a smaller number actually vote.

Sara Salvaggio, 20, is one of those people.

Salvaggio, sophomore in early childhood education, is registered to vote, but in Polk County – not Story County, where she lives.

She voted in the 2000 presidential election, but Salvaggio said she doesn’t usually vote in smaller, more localized elections.

“I never know enough about the candidates and issues,” she said. “I can’t make an informed decision. I don’t know that my vote would do any good.”

Salvaggio said she plans to vote eventually, but doesn’t have time to research and educate herself about issues or candidates. She also doesn’t have time to dig through political mudslinging ads.

“I hear so many things, I just give up,” Salvaggio said. “There is so much bad stuff going on right now, who wants to vote based on that?”

For the other 83 percent, Mary Mosiman, Story County auditor, said she hopes they are registered in their home districts and voting by absentee ballot.

“In the 2000 election … about 4 percent of the student-age population voted. Approximately half of those numbers were absentee ballots,” she said.

The numbers show a common, falling trend in the 18- to 25-year-old age bracket. Mosiman said “turnout for this age bracket is going down in Story County, usually about 2 percent per election.”

Mosiman said it’s the same in the rest of the state.

In other counties with high student populations, like Black Hawk and Johnson counties, about 10 to 15 percent of students are registered. About 4 percent usually vote.

Mosiman said the numbers are misrepresented because students register at home instead of where they live. College students have that choice since they’re temporary residents.

Unfortunately, she said, because students are given that choice, many just aren’t registered.

‘My vote doesn’t count anyway’

The downward trend is blamed on several things.

Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver told the Daily in a phone interview that three things cause low youth voter turnout: lack of information about the candidates, lack of access to the process and lack of understanding voting mechanics. Some examples of the voting confusion are where the physical places to register and vote are and when registration and voting deadlines occur.

“Because students don’t know how relatively easy and straight-forward the process is, they would rather not get involved,” Culver said.

Mosiman said complacency – the most common excuse – is unacceptable.

“Voting is linked to every part of everyone’s life,” she said. “The law allows you to put gas in your car. The law allows you to buy food in the grocery store. The law allows you to get your driver’s license and in some cities, like Ames, the law says where you can and cannot smoke.”

She said most people who don’t vote think it doesn’t matter one way or the other.

“The thought that ‘My vote doesn’t count anyway’ is probably one of the most common excuses and misconceptions in the entire arena of political participation,” Mosiman said. “Historically, elections have been decided on one vote in districts. All voters, absolutely, without a doubt, make a difference in the election process.”

But complacency isn’t the only issue. Sometimes the reason is money.

“For most, the money is not coming directly out of their pockets for the county level – they aren’t paying property taxes,” Mosiman said. “When money and taxes become an issue, then they will take interest in their local government. But right now, they’ve got other goals in front of them.”

Jerry Stubben, ISU Extension communities specialist, said another reason is “confusion” about where students should vote.

“Most students at Iowa State don’t know the people in Ames and vote by absentee ballot back home, but they don’t know the issues there,” he said. “So rather than make an uninformed vote, they don’t do it at all.”

Stubben said apathy is also based on age.

“College students have no ownership yet in the political system, and so it’s not a major part of life,” he said.

“They don’t feel part of the community as a student, and so don’t know the big issues … They haven’t bought into that community culture yet.”

Jim Hutter, associate professor of political science, said feeling part of the community is important around election time.

“When you have ties to a community, then you live the issues on a long-term basis and more reasons are generated to take an interest,” he said. “This age group will take interest when they’ve lived the life and the issues.”

The older a person gets, Hutter said, the more often he or she votes.

“Age and education are important factors,” he said. “People with a college education vote more than those that don’t. College students are more inclined to vote than the rest of the members of the voting block in the 18- to 24-year-old sector.”

Stubben said the most disturbing reason for inactivity in the student voter bloc is the thought that the youth vote does not matter.

He compared a tax increase to the increases in tuition that students have faced.

“If taxes went that high, older adults would burn down the courthouse,” he said. “Students really do have a voice; they just haven’t learned to use it collectively.”

The excuse of “I don’t have time” is also a bad one, Stubben said, because voting takes only a few minutes.

“Theoretically, if you call yourself an American, then you should vote,” he said. “Voting is simple and it doesn’t take up much time. It’s easier than going to the doctor or filling out financial aid forms, and voting may have more influence on your life than filling out that FAFSA form.

“Someone, somewhere passes every law,” Stubben said. “It’s true that sometimes people can’t get around to the polls, but here’s the key issue: The person that votes takes the time to take action in what affects them.”

Most important, he said, is the fact that there has to be a reason to vote. Property tax holders vote more than renters in local issues because they have a stake to claim.

It’s something the political candidates notice.

“People may disagree, but when I see a leader of a party that’s 25 years of age, I’ll believe that parties will pay attention,” he said. “They don’t care about student issues because they know students don’t vote.”

Stubben said political ads are evidence of that belief.

“They aren’t talking about upper education; they’re talking about health care and tax cuts,” he said. “Obviously important things, but at this point in their lives, students aren’t thinking about those issues.”

Stubben said parties know who does not vote and they use that group’s activity as “cannon fodder.”

“It’s being given specific options and specific plans that encourages people to vote,” he said.

Culver said he is particularly interested in the youth vote turnout for the coming election.

“In an analysis done after the 2000 election, one precinct on campus, which includes the Towers Residence Association, recorded only one youth vote,” he said

More than 1,000 students were eligible to vote in that precinct and the only people who did were one student, the ISU President and his wife, Culver said.

“In one of the closest elections in history, that one precinct could have significantly tipped the scales, in Iowa anyway.”

Culver has made it his mission to increase the youth vote in Iowa.

“This is how we help the next generation of leaders get involved,” he said. “But before we can expect them to get involved we must give them the tools to do so effectively.”

During the past six years, Culver said the Iowa youth registration has increased about 5 percent, and his sense of responsibility stems from that that increase.

“I have to focus on those groups that are underrepresented,” he said.

“I have to seek them out to make them feel important and that their vote does matter.”

Stubben said voting is important for one reason.

“If you vote, you can complain,” he said. “If you’re going to be an informed voter, it shows you’ve read up on the issue and can make a rational review of what’s going on at the local, state and federal levels.”

Simply not interested?

On Saturday, more than 400 stations will be set up across the state for Voter Registration Day. Culver said it’s important to have one day a year to focus on voter registration.

“We’ve setup a statewide registration day with the purpose on not necessarily voting or candidate information, but with the sole focus on the process of voter registration,” Culver said. “We’re taking the process to the people.”

He said the day will easily meet the 30-day registration deadline set up by state law.

Mosiman said ease of registration is important when determining who will become an active voter. But sometimes it does no good in attracting college-age voters.

“The law no longer requires you to be active to get an absentee ballot,” she said. “But sometimes it gets too easy, too common, and the right to vote is taken for granted.”

To draw apathetic voters, Mosiman said Story County is working with the Government of the Student Body to get satellite voting stations in the Memorial Union. On Election Day, polling places will be set up at the Friley Depot, Maple-Willow-Larch Commons, Frederiksen Court Cafe and University Baptist Church, 2400 Mortensen Parkway.

“We know students’ lives are busy, and we’re trying to help by making the voting process easy and convenient,” Mosiman said. “We hope it does make a difference. Even if it’s only 1 to 2 percent. We will be excited about that.”

As far as deciding where to register and vote, Stubben has his own philosophy for students.

“Where you wake up in the morning is probably where you should vote,” he said. “The laws back home don’t affect you if you’re not living there. As one graduate student once said to me, ‘You never know, you might end up here the rest of your life.’ “

Some students don’t vote at Ames polls because they plan to vote at home or via absentee ballot, but Hutter said that usually fails in some way – by missing application or postmark deadlines or missing out on the chance to get home on Election Day.

“Unless you have a really good reason to keep your vote at home, register where you currently live,” he said.

Voter participation is the most important thing, however.

Hutter said two things generate people – candidates and interest.

“[Voters] are either attracted or turned off by candidates. Friends help create connections, professors can force activity … somewhere there’s an attempt at breaking down the barriers of inactivity,” he said.

“The first time usually does it,” Hutter said. “We must reach students in the student arena. The more personal exposure there is, the more interest is generated.”

He said the decision depends on individual interest levels, but it’s hard to accept the “simply-not-interested” excuse.

“Every part of everyone is affected, whether it’s through taxes or the laws they have to live by in their communities,” he said. “And your vote does count.”

WEB FEATURE

Learn how to register to vote