Editor's note: Karen Kedrowski is professor of political science and director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics
The 2024 presidential election will be held on Nov. 5. Iowans will vote for the U.S. president and vice president, four members of the U.S. House of Representatives, numerous Iowa legislators and other community officials.
In 2020, 72.9% of Iowa State students voted, an increase of almost 11% over 2016. However, voter turnout was not evenly distributed across campus. STEM students had lower voter turnout rates than average, while students in the humanities and social sciences were well above average. This disparity presents opportunities for innovative, targeted outreach strategies focused on Iowa State students.
The CyclonesVote team in the Carrie Chapman Catt Center has been working across campus to encourage all students to exercise their constitutional rights. It also is developing nonpartisan resources for students about voting that are available to students, faculty and staff outside of classroom settings:
- Voting information handouts: The Catt Center's Voting FAQs page includes information about voting in Iowa, including key dates, and voter accessibility solutions. These materials can be made available for pickup, but should not be distributed in classrooms.
- The #CyclonesVote team is available to speak to any registered student organization. The team is trained to provide nonpartisan, nonideological information on voter registration, absentee ballot requests and Iowa voting requirements. These student interns focus on creating innovative presentations and updated swag to engage Gen Z voters effectively.
- Repost Catt Center and #CyclonesVote social media messages on personal social media accounts. The Catt Center and its #CyclonesVote team regularly post nonpartisan voter information messages on its social media channels. The Catt Center is on Facebook, X, Instagram and Threads. #CyclonesVote also is on Instagram. Campus units should refrain from posting political and election-related messages on their official social media sites.
- #Cyclones Vote 2024 Canvas module: The Catt Center has updated its nonpartisan, nonideological Canvas module #CyclonesVote 2024 – Voting Information for Students. This innovative e-learning approach provides information for students who wish to vote in Ames, Story County or elsewhere, and it is free to download from Canvas Commons.
Please note: Do not offer extra credit to students for registering or casting a vote. Instead, encourage students to interact with the materials.
These innovative, nonpartisan approaches help students understand and participate in the democratic process and continue the university's mission to be a leader in campus civic engagement.
The Catt Center is here to help. Members of the campus community can contact the Catt Center staff at cattcntr@iastate.edu with questions related to voting, eligibility or other topics.
