The Student Government elections are upon us, and it is time for you to make your voice heard. There are two slates running for election this year.

• The Moving Forward ISU platform is headed by presidential candidate Julian Neely and vice presidential candidate Juan Bibiloni

• The Unlocking Your Potential platform is headed by presidential candidate Ben Whittington and vice presidential candidate Jocelyn Simms

Check out more about each campaign here. 

No matter who you choose to vote for, you should vote. Your vote counts, especially when only 1 in 5 students voted for last year’s Student Government presidential election.

The Student Government president and vice president have more power than some may realize, which is why voting in this year’s election is critical.

The executive branch of Student Government, which is headed by the president and vice president, is a representative of the student body to the university, as well as local and state government bodies. Students should want someone they trust to represent them and their interests to important institutions in and out of Iowa State.

They are also in charge of special projects and initiatives directly linked to students interest.

For example, the Moving Forward ISU platform is advocating more transparency for Student Government with a monthly newsletter to students while Unlocking Your Potential is pushing for more collaboration between the greek councils and Student Government.

They are your leading representatives, and you can have a hand in deciding who those people are.

Voting only takes a few minutes and is easy to do. You will receive an email linking you to the voting service on March 6, or you can go here on March 6 or March 7 to access the ballot.

It is easy, it comes straight to your Iowa State email and only takes a couple of taps on your phone screen to make a difference. This is a time where you can make sure you and your interests are represented next year in Student Government. All you have to do is vote.

So be sure that today and tomorrow, March 6 and March 7, you research the candidates, come to an educated decision and vote for the future president and vice president of your Student Government.