The candidate signs in people’s yards will soon be disappearing as the election campaigns come to an end and candidates cross their fingers, awaiting the results of today’s election.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. today.

Jim Hutter, adviser for ISU Democrats and associate professor of political science, said students should vote simply because they live in Ames and all of the city’s rules apply to them.

“Students make up almost half of the population of this city,” Hutter said. “This is your money.”

Students really are affected by city government, he said, and they should take responsibility by voting.

“If students aren’t going to vote,” Hutter added, “then they can’t complain about the results later.”

Mayoral candidates

Candidates for mayor include Larry Curtis, current mayor and adjunct assistant professor of accounting, and current city councilman Ted Tedesco.

Curtis said Monday night he was feeling “very positive” about today’s election and expects the mayoral race to be a close one.

“There are two good candidates,” Curtis said. “So I don’t think [Ames residents] can go too far wrong either way.”

Tedesco likewise said he felt very good about the election, crediting an “excellent organizational committee” who aided him in “really getting our message out to the members of the community.”

Curtis said it is unfortunate that student participation in the election process is sometimes taken for granted.

He said if students participated more in the voting process, then their potential impact upon city government would be recognized to a greater extent.

“I feel that I have recognized and greatly appreciated student involvement in the past years, and I hope [students] will support me because of that,” Curtis said.

Tedesco said students are “very important” to the Ames community, not only during their time as students but also as those who “will help shape the future” of Ames.

“With the development currently taking place in this community and increased employment opportunities,” Tedesco said, “there are real possibilities that these students will chose to be employed here — to stay and raise their families in the Ames community.”

Third-Ward candidates

City council third-ward candidates are Ann Campbell, current member, and Bonnie Homstad. The third ward incorporates the residence halls and greek houses.

Campbell, who has not had an opponent since the first time she ran for her seat, said this has been an interesting campaign.

“It’ll be nice to have it over,” she said. She said it has been humbling to have somebody contest her seat.

Homstad said she thinks the campaign stirred up debate and elicited positive critiques of herself and her opponent that would not come up when candidates run unopposed.

“I think it’s a real good learning experience for any civic-minded person,” she said.

Campbell said student turnout for voting has been historically low; however, she said this is understandable since most students remain registered as voters in their hometowns.

When she ran 12 years ago against a graduate student, she said her opponent worked hard to drum up student participation and still had a low student turnout.

“I take seriously the idea of representing students,” she said.

Homstad, a former greek member, said she talked with many greek organizations.

“I like to think I tried to reach everybody,” she said.

Other candidates

Russ Cross is running for city council at-large.

City council first-ward candidates are Sharon Wirth, current me-