The local elections that took place Nov. 4 decided which City Council candidates would represent Ames — a city that, not surprisingly, encompasses Iowa State’s campus, various student housing options, apartments and places where students shop, dine, drink and exist.

According to the office of the Story County auditor and commissioner of elections, voter turnout to decide the fate of these spaces inhabited by students was consistent with voter turnout in past elections.

Kelli Hitsman, precinct chairwoman in Ward 1, said she had a “really good turnout” at her polling location at the Ames Public Library.

By 7 p.m. on election night, one hour before the polls closed, Hitsman’s location had seen 10 percent of registered voters in her precinct.

After all of the ballots were counted, Story County saw 13.2 percent voter turnout, said Lucy Martin, Story County auditor and commissioner of elections. The city of Ames saw 12 percent voter turnout.

In Ward 4, an area that encompasses most of Iowa State’s campus and student housing, one polling place saw nine voters all day. Two of them were President Leath and his wife.

Martin said these numbers are not surprising. Not only are the voter turnout percentages consistent with past trends in Ames, but they are also consistent with a national trend of low voter participation in local elections.

Councilwoman-elect Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen, who studied local government for her master’s thesis at Iowa State, said voter turnout was slightly higher overall this year than in the last two election cycles.

However, Beatty-Hansen said, “Campus turnout was low.”

One possible reason Ames saw such low voter turnout in areas heavily populated by students is that students often don’t register to vote in the town where they go to college, Beatty-Hansen said.

“They still think of themselves as residents of their hometown,” Beatty-Hansen said. Although, she said, students should register to vote in the city where they live for most of the year.

Although many students may not register to vote in Ames, voter turnout percentages are calculated using the number of potential voters who are already registered.

Of the three polling locations on campus, the busiest poll at Buchanan Hall saw 3.03 percent of voters who were already registered to vote here.

The second polling location, on Union Drive, saw less than 2 percent of already registered voters.

At the polling location in Maple Hall, the one that saw nine voters all day, the percentage of voter turnout was less than 1 percent.

“Students could easily take over City Council,” Martin said. If students voted together as one voting block, she said, they could easily decide the outcome of local elections.

Martin said it’s no secret that candidates value student input and want to see them vote.

Beatty-Hansen, who was elected Nov. 4, said participation in local government is important for everyone, especially students in a college town.

“Decisions that are made at a local level are most impactful,” Beatty-Hansen said.

Beatty-Hansen said council members vote on issues like CyRide that impact students directly in several ways, especially financially.

She said council members are also responsible for making decisions about the growth of businesses in Ames, businesses where students go to shop, eat, drink or be entertained.

Perhaps more importantly, council members make decisions that impact job opportunities both for current students and alumni, Beatty-Hansen said.

“There are a lot of decisions that would affect students,” Beatty-Hansen said.

If you want to help shape the government that will advocate for another Fighting Burrito, more bike trails or more affordable rent, go to the Story County website and fill out your voter registration form.