As the mayoral election approaches, it is time for students to realize their role in the Waverly community, learn about the candidates and place their vote.
The average Wartburg student will spend at least nine months a year for four years in Waverly. This community becomes their “home” as they enter adulthood.
The students at Wartburg also make up a substantial share of Waverly’s population. According to the 2000 census report, Waverly had 8,968 citizens. The 1,800 Wartburg students are therefore a large percentage of the town’s population.
If any number of Wartburg students cast a vote, they could have a considerable and important role in this year’s mayoral election.
As members of a private college, there are some students that think what happens in the city’s government doesn’t affect them.
But students need to understand the role Waverly plays in the life of the college. For example, it was through a partnership with the city that “The W” came to fruition.
It is not hard to vote either. Lynn Brase, the Bremer County auditor and commissioner of elections, said Wartburg students are eligible for same-day registration.
There are two chances for students to vote: at “The W” on Tuesday or by voting next Tuesday, Nov. 3. at Waverly polling locations found at Redeemer Lutheran Church less than a block from McDonalds and the Waverly Civic Center at City Hall.
Students shouldn’t let the off-campus vote centers deter them—it takes the same amount of effort to get a Big Mac as it does to make a difference in the town.
To register to vote, Brase says you need to bring a form of identification (such as a driver’s license, passport or a form of identification with an expiration date on it) and proof of residency in Waverly (a bank statement, utility bill, paycheck or a contract agreement for your dorm room, which is available by request in the Student Life office).
But the most important thing for students who want to vote is to be informed about the candidates and the issues. Not only did the last issue of the Trumpet profile the candidates, but the mayoral forum held on campus last week can be seen on WTV8 both Thursday night and Monday, Nov. 2, or any time online at www.wartburgtv.org .
Brase says students don’t usually vote for mayor. This is the year to prove that wrong.
We have voices and we have opinions—now it is time to make them heard in the college community.