Though students comprise nearly one-third of the population in Story County, they account for only about six percent of the county’s registered voters.

The Story County Auditor’s Office reports 4,807 registered voters ages 18-24. Out of these, 26 percent are Democrats and 29 percent are Republicans. It’s a near even split of males and females.

Of the 20 voting precincts in Ames, there are nine precincts which election officials consider student-oriented. These are the precincts that have shown the lowest absentee returns so far in this year’s election.

These trends are not new, nor are they unique to Story County.

Political Science Professor Steffen Schmidt said student turnout is “abysmal” across the nation. Furthermore, he anticipates low poll numbers this year among all demographic groups due to a lack of interest.

“The way we run elections and the way we run campaigns is not effective,” Schmidt said. “Rather than blame the voters…what we need to do is sit down and figure out a better way to do things.”

County Auditor Judy Emmons said she was disappointed with the low turnout in Story County during the 1992 presidential election.

However, she said she was pleased with the 51 students and faculty who turned out to vote at the absentee voting booths her office brought to the Memorial Union last Wednesday.

“It was worth our effort. I don’t know how you calculate the cost,” Emmons said. “How many people that voted would have done so regardless of whether or not we we were there? Some of the students may not have.”

Emmons said she would like to see more students register to vote in Story County, rather than in their home county or state, so that they might develop a more active role in the local issues that affect them while they are in college.

“You hear a lot of people say they don’t know what’s going on or they don’t take the time to find out. But students can really make a difference,” she said. Using the example of parking, Emmons said that if students are unhappy with current regulations, they should work to get them changed.

Once students are registered, Emmons said, the remaining challenge is getting them to the polls.

On the other hand, Schmidt said he does not find the low political interest among students to be that discouraging.

He cited low returns at annual GSB elections and said if students do not show interest in campus affairs, it is not surprising they have such a weak voting record on the local and national levels.

“Young people are in a period of their life where politics is not central to their activities,” he said. “You shouldn’t be mad at them for saying that. If we were in a really bad crises in this country … they would probably invest more time in it.”

Students Jennifer Dreibelbis and Sharon Haselhoff are both working to change students’ voting habits and attitudes, and to involve them in the political process. Dreibelbis, a senior in political science and public relations, is a co-chair of the ISU Democrats.

Dreibelbis said the goal of the voter registration movement is to have 2,200 students registered by the end of this week. They had 1,650 at last count.

Haselhoff, a junior in political science, is a Catt associate at the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women in Politics and a member of the Voter Coalition. The Coalition hosts sessions on campus in which students are divided into small groups and given an issue to discuss.

Haselhoff said the program is attempting to rid students of apathy and inform them of issues relevant to them. “I try to get that negative out of them. But some people are just like that,” she said.