For Immediate Release:
December 11, 2007
Contacts:
Stacey Wilson, Iowa
PIRG, Drake University student, 920-450-4618 (cell)
Sujatha Jahagirdar, Iowa PIRG, 323-309-6120 (cell)
In response to a column posted
today by the Des Moines Register
and statements recently issued by several presidential candidates, we as Iowa
student leaders are urging all of the presidential candidates to encourage
youth turnout, instead of discouraging youth participation in the Iowa
caucuses. The full statement is below.
Statement in Support of Full Voting Rights for Iowa Youth
It is has recently come to our attention that some
presidential candidates are suggesting that students in Iowa should not caucus. We're shocked that
any national figure would advocate for youth disenfranchisement. This goes
against the very grain of our democracy and the core values of our
nation. We live here in Iowa
for the majority of the year and make our homes here; we are active
participants in our communities- volunteering, giving back and contributing
intellectual and financial resources to the state. To say that students who
didn’t grow up in Iowa,
but who now live here, shouldn’t have the choice to participate in the caucuses
is blatant voter disenfranchisement.
We have been working hard to encourage our peers to be
active participants in their democracy because college students and young
people should be more involved in politics. The Secretary of State’s office is
clear that college students have the choice and the right to vote and caucus in
Iowa. We all
know that more young people
need to get involved in the political process and we are asking you to take the
following steps to ensure that this happens:
First, make it clear through your actions and issue a
statement that you support all young Iowans – including students – right to
vote and caucus in Iowa whether we are from Iowa or attend college in Iowa. Second, come in to our communities and
actively seek us out and engage us on the issues we care about.
Sincerely,
Barrett Anderson, Student Government President, University of Iowa
Alan
Cosby, Student Government Chief of Staff, University
of Iowa
Alejandro Alonso, Student Senator, University
of Iowa
Harrison Wheeler, Student Government Publicity Chair, University of Iowa
Brian Phillips, Student Body President, Iowa
State University
Dan Sadowski, Student Government President, Drake
University
Julian Vandervelde, Right Guard for Hawkeyes football team, University of Iowa
Frederick Warren, Co-President Drake Environmental Action League, Drake University
Kaitlyn
Golden, Student Leader, Drake University
Jessica Fischer, Student Leader, Drake
University
Megan Bailey, Student Leader, Drake University
Rachel Haase, Student leader, Drake University
Kate Preston, Student leader, Drake University
Megan Stephenson, Iowa PIRG coordinator, University
of Iowa
Colleen Delahanty, Iowa PIRG coordinator, University
of Iowa
Stacey Wilson, Iowa PIRG
Chair, Drake University
Devin Hartman, Iowa PIRG
Chair, Iowa State University
Eleanor Kahn, Iowa PIRG
Chair, Iowa State University Iowa State
Ryan Crane, Iowa PIRG Chair,
University of Northern Iowa
Kristen
Paeth, Iowa PIRG Co-Chair, University of Northern Iowa
Samuel
Charnetski, President of Inter-Fraternity Council, University of Northern
Iowa
Kristin Langner, President of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgender Club, University
of Northern Iowa
Alex Cahill, Vice President, St. Ambrose University Student Government
