Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Jim Mowrer, candidate for Congress, came to campus Tuesday afternoon to tell students how important their votes are in elections.

Zoe Kustritz, junior in industrial design, helped organize the event and get students to attend. Both Mowrer and Harkin came to rally voters for early voting, she said.

“We have this unique opportunity on campus with in-person early voting. That’s a big deal. It’s important that we get people out to vote here,” Kustritz said.

Mowrer also spoke to students about how important it was that they take advantage of voting. Not only is it their right and duty to vote, but college students now will be leaders in the next elections. Decisions made now will affect them later, he said.

“There’s no reason not to vote. As younger Americans, as younger voters, as younger Iowans, we have the most at stake. Our generation has to take action,” Mowrer said.

Mowrer also spoke to students about why he believes the democratic candidates are the future of Iowa.

He said that the Democratic Party has the best interests in mind for students because they have invested in education by proposing Pell grants and fighting for affordable tuition.

“This country doesn’t remain the greatest nation on earth if we don’t continue to have the best higher education. We have to continue to advance,” Mowrer said.

Harkin agreed, also saying that Iowa State students have had a history of being invested in politics and their futures. The first time Harkin got a seat in Congress, Iowa State students had run his campaign.

“All the people on my campaign were students. The students at Iowa State put me in Congress. Of course it was other people too, but it was the students who really worked and got the votes out,” Harkin said.

He also mentioned the importance of voting for candidates in Iowa instead of students voting with absentee ballots. Students at Iowa State are here for four years, and there are many people in government to represent them and fight for their needs as students, he said.

“You have a lot of power here to decide this election,” Harkin said.