We are 21 days away from Election Day, Nov. 6. For many students, this will be the first time they are eligible to vote in a presidential election. However, many of us still do not know for whom we will vote, whether we are eligible to vote, or where our polling places will be.

We are fortunate to live in a state that has made voting increasingly accessible. As a student at the University of Iowa, you are eligible to vote in Iowa City or Coralville. You can register to vote at a satellite voting location before Oct. 27 or after Oct. 27 on Election Day at your precinct.  

Before you do vote, you should become informed. One of the main goals of the UISG get-out-the-vote effort is to provide a non-biased platform to inform you about the candidates and how you can vote.

If you would like to become more informed about the presidential candidates or discuss your views of the candidates, come to the UISG Debate Watch at 7:30 p.m. today in the Bijou. If you attend, you will even get a free “Voting is Sexy” shirt.

Once you are registered to vote and are informed, voting is easy. Iowa offers the opportunity to vote early, and many students have taken advantage of this. For those who have not, there is still time; there are many satellite voting places on campus over the next two weeks. Satellite voting will be held at the Old Capitol Town Center on Wednesday, IMU on Thursday, and Burge on Friday. The full details can be found at uisg.uiowa.edu/gotv. I believe that early voting is a convenient way to increase turnout among younger voters.  

This election will come down to a few states, including Iowa. Our votes are critical in deciding who will win the presidency in November. In two out of the last three presidential elections in Iowa, the margin of difference between the two candidates was 10,000 votes or fewer. With 21,000 undergraduates on campus, our generation’s vote can determine the outcome.   

Issues that matter to us deserve our vote. Register to vote. Come to the debate watch. And vote. Seize this opportunity to engage in democratic dialogue with fellow students who will help shape Iowa either red or blue this fall.

Nicholas Pottebaum