Students, county elections staff urge turnout, cite climate and local issues

A brief community panel at the start of the Iowa City Foreign Relations program highlighted local turnout efforts. Kenzie from the Johnson County Elections Department introduced herself as the poll-worker coordinator and elections outreach person and encouraged attendees to use sample ballots and early-voting resources available at the table: “I have sample ballots. I have the early voting schedule,” she said, adding that the office aims to reassure voters and recruit poll workers to support higher participation.

Danica Jacobson, education director for the student group Hawk the Vote at the University of Iowa, said her outreach focuses on raising youth turnout through tabling and programming on campus. She named climate, immigration and academic freedom as top motivating issues for students and said, “I would say that the climate is a really big one for us.” Mar Jose, who described himself as programming director of Hawkville, urged making voting safe and comprehensible for younger and international students. The panel emphasized local ballot items’ direct impact on community life and urged attendees to bring questions to county election staff.