Next month, Ames community members will have the opportunity to elect a new mayor on Nov. 7. For some students, it may not seem important to contribute your opinions for local government, especially if you’re leaving Ames after graduation. What would be the point of helping decide on a new leader of a city that you might not live in, in a year or two’s time? 

No matter how many years you have left living in Ames, the new mayor will make decisions that will affect you. These decisions could be addressing lease gaps for students who will be moving next year or creating and eliminating jobs both for students who are looking for part-time employment or full-time jobs for graduates. 

Even if you don’t plan on staying in Ames after college, doing your part to vote for someone who will continue to improve the city of your alma mater should be a priority. 

As an editorial board, we believe that student voices may be the most vital in deciding who will run our city. Students could have the opportunity to control more things in Ames if they engage in local elections and make their opinions heard.

Voting in local elections isn’t a just right those who are 18 and older possess, it’s also a responsibility. As students, we can’t just rely on those who decide to vote to make the decisions for us. 

We encourage everyone to pre-register to vote by 5 p.m., Oct. 27. If you don’t get the chance to pre-register, you can still register on Election Day if you follow all Election Day procedures: going to the correct voting location and bringing a photo ID and proof of residence. 

Before voting, everyone should also properly research both candidates in order to decide which would meet the needs of the entire Ames community, including the students. 

There are two candidates running for mayor: John Haila and Victoria Szopinski. We believe that both candidates would be strong leaders of Ames and the editorial board will be announcing our endorsement in the upcoming weeks.