Turnout at city elections tends to be lower than state and nationwide elections, but that didn’t stop some students from St. Ambrose University from going to the polls.

Students showed up to the polling location set up in the Rogalski Center to have their voices be heard. Heriberto Alfaro is a sophomore student at St. Ambrose. “I think I’ve always been interested in politics because it’s such a fundamental part of who I am,” Alfaro said. “I think especially with my background, it’s crucial to my wellbeing to vote.”

Students at St. Ambrose pushed their peers to vote during the election day in Iowa. “Especially with the clubs that we have on campus like Latino Unidas, one big thing that we really strive for is recognition, and being heard,” Alfaro said. “I think that this is the perfect way to do it, by voting.”

Other students are joining in on the importance of voting. “Every vote matters, no matter how many it is,” Avery Otto, a St. Ambrose sophomore, said. “Every person matters to voice their opinion. These votes matter almost more than the presidential votes because they can actually make a difference in your area.”

Polling workers at the St. Ambrose location say they believe election day voter turnout is down because of early voting. Students believe it’s because of the disinterest in young people. “It’s not something younger people really tend to do,” Alfaro said. “So having a polling place on campus gives them the opportunity to simply come on, have their voices heard and feel like they’re actually doing a service not only to our country but to them as well.”

Both Alfaro and Otto told Our Quad Cities News they will come back to vote during the next election.