Voting — it’s free, it’s convenient and it will decide your future.

But according to statistics, most college students don’t vote.

In the last non-presidential general election (1994), less than one-third of those registered in three largely student precincts in Ames didn’t show up at the polls.

In precinct 4-5 — the Richardson Court Association, except for Maple, Willow and Larch Halls — only 17 percent of registered voters cast ballots.

In precinct 3-2, which includes much of the greek system, the turnout was slightly better at 20 percent. And in precinct 4-3, which covers Friley Hall and many student apartments, just 27 percent of those registered to vote did so.

This lack of participation can be traced to one thing, said Laural Cox, Story County’s deputy auditor.

“I don’t think the students feel like this type of thing affects them,” she said. “I don’t think they see the direct correlation to their lives.”

Some Iowa Staters say Cox is right.

Students don’t vote because “they’re still young, and other stuff is more important right now,” said Shannon Nehl, freshman in animal science.

Jay King, senior in microbiology, said he is not planning to vote.

“I have had the time, but I’m sort of apathetic,” King said. He said he received a mail-in application for an absentee ballot but did not return it.

King said the issues he cares about center on the environment, so he feels detached from what this year’s candidates are talking about.

The issues are exactly why students should vote, said Government of the Student Body President Bryan Burkhardt.

“State legislators control the appropriations that public higher education institutions in Iowa get,” he said. “I don’t think [students] ever realize that each of those people has a vote and could make the effort to lobby for more money for the regents universities.”

Burkhardt will be voting tomorrow, even though it will take a little extra effort. He said he’ll make the drive to his home precinct in Des Moines, where he is still registered, and cast his ballot.

“Making sure that I’m in the polling place, that I’m in the voting booth, is really what’s important to me,” he said.

Burkhardt said he wishes elected officials would focus more attention on student-related issues.

Secretary of State candidate Chet Culver agreed, but he said attention will come only if more students make some noise at the polls.

“What happens as a result of that apathy is that young people often don’t have a government that’s very responsive to them because they’re not participating,” Culver said.

ISU President Martin Jischke said all these non-voters are doing more than just not participating.

“It’s like the old adage says, evil triumphs when good people do nothing,” he said.