After four weeks of campaigning, it is time to vote for your candidate to lead the Student Government. The elections start Tuesday and will continue through Wednesday on vote.iastate.edu. 

Students tend to ignore the elections, but that is certainly the wrong reaction.

It is often said that “voting is your license to complain.” When a student has a concern or a complaint, Student Government should be their go-to. The student body is represented by the Student Government and its elected leaders. They are the ones who voice our concerns to the administration and stand for our rights. They are elected to serve us all, and to ensure the best service possible, we should choose who does the service.

In addition to that, and perhaps more important for many, the budget that the Student Government has its hands on is collected from the students. With more than $2 million, StuGov provides funding to more than a hundred student organizations and clubs at Iowa State. Voting in the elections is the first step of involvement in order to hold the Student Government accountable.

With that being said, it is a must to consider that the elections this year are perhaps uniquely important. Along with voting for the Student Government candidates, students will vote on the Memorial Union Renovation and Addition Plan.

This will be included on the Student Government ballot this year. The proposed plan to renovate the MU is estimated to cost $65 million. The proposal includes an increase of $72 in the student fee over two phases. The first phase, to be effective in fall 2018 if approved, will consist of a $30 increase. The other $42 would be Phase 2, effective in fall 2019. This plan adds weight to the importance of your vote on this year’s Student Government ballot.

The ISD Editorial Board supports a vote for “yes” on this referendum and has endorsed the Cody 4 ISU campaign in the Student Government race.

At Iowa State, casting your vote cannot be made easier. All that one needs to do is log in to vote.iastate.edu using their net ID and password. It usually does not take more than a few minutes to vote on the president, vice president and the senators. The website has additional details and instructions in case you face some technical difficulties.

At this point, the Editorial Board encourages all students to take a look at the platforms and cast their votes on the Student Government and the MU referendum.