With the fervor of political advertisements, debates and on-campus activities, the time has finally come for the 2014 elections. 

Students attending UNI can vote early this week from October 20th to October 24th at the Maucker, Union as well as on the south side of the Redeker Center.

For the remainder of the week, students can participate in the political process by filling out the necessary paperwork and casting a vote for their preferred candidate. 

The overall procedure takes about ten minutes.

Voting takes place between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Students who would prefer to vote on Election Day may register at the Black Hawk County Courthouse by bringing in two forms of identification and going through the same steps. 

University identification does not count because the ID must have a valid expiration date.

University of Northern Iowa college student votes count. College students make up approximately 30 percent of the population in Cedar Falls. 

However, on average, only 40 percent of college level students participate in the democratic process according to the Civic Youth organization.

Students can vote 

“If we don’t vote, we don’t show them (the candidates) that we (the students) have any reason to care,”  said Victoria Hurst, senior public administration and political science major.

Hurst also serves as NISG director of student relations.

Hurst said the state legislature determines funding for the universities, which can affect students directly.

The positions available and that have been the most heavily advertised are governor (Hatch v. Branstad), United States Senate (Braley v. Ernst) and U.S. House of Representatives (Young v. Appel) all of which are too close to call at this time in the election.

Hurst went on to explain that the reason candidates are placing such an emphasis on Social Security and Medicare is because elderly individuals have a higher turnout than college students.

Though the election is not for the President of the United States, the elections for Governor, Attorney General and five others in the next coming weeks have more of a direct impact on everyday life in Iowa.             

Because fewer people vote in non-presidential elections, a vote for representatives this year will carry more weight than it will two years from now. 

“It is very important to get your voice heard,” said Kevin Gartmann, student body president at UNI, “and to make an impact to show UNI cares.”