Mississippi State University student participation in Oktibbeha County general elections is typically low despite continued increase in the number of registered student voters.
Angie McGinnis, Oktibbeha County circuit clerk, said in an email growing numbers of MSU students register to vote in Oktibbeha County every year but fail to turn up on Election Day.
“It really is a problem I have often wondered how to change, so I would like to encourage all MSU students that are registered in Oktibbeha County to go vote (today),” she said.  
McGinnis said of the 25,200 registered voters in Oktibbeha County, 50 percent are expected to vote in today’s election based on the 45 percent turnout in the general election four years ago. This amounts to 12,600 people of the more than 38,000 people of voting age, according to the 2010 Oktibbeha County census. This would be considered a fair turnout, she said.
Director of John C. Stennis Institute of Government Marty Wiseman said MSU students should take an interest in the local government. Oktibbeha County set a record for food and beverage tax revenue, the majority of which is paid by students, he said. The two percent tax on food and beverages is allocated for recreation and development in Starkville, and MSU is given 20 percent to use on student activities.
“When students say they have no reason to be involved in Starkville government I would beg to differ, because Starkville government is taking something out of their pocketbook every time they go to a restaurant,” Wiseman said. “They are paying taxes to the city, and they have a right to participate in what the city does with their tax dollars.”
The election today will include voting for statewide and county offices. The outcomes of the election can impact the MSU community in several areas.
Growth
 McGinnis said the election of governor, house and senate representatives and Oktibbeha county board of supervisors will impact the MSU community in terms of growth and development. She said the leadership will determine whether Mississippi continues with the status quo or moves in a new direction.
Wiseman said the Golden Triangle area is approaching a crossroads in terms of growth and development. The continued growth of the university under the direction of President Keenum has created a positive attitude and set a tone for improvement among local officials. The policy-making board elected will determine whether collaboration with MSU to expand research and attract businesses continues.
“Students very much have a vested interest, because everything that grows and improves tends to attract more businesses, whether its retail business to shop or all sorts of new restaurants and other things to make student life in Starkville and Oktibbeha county a much more enjoyable environment,” Wiseman said.
Safety
            The office of Oktibbeha county sheriff is up for election for the first time in 35 years today, McGinnis said.
            Robert Shoup, professor of political science, said the role of law enforcement is unique in a college town.
            He said some students see themselves as detached from the local community at a large university like MSU. There can be a sense of insularity among students, because MSU has its own police force and public safety measures.
            “Many students need to understand they are part of the town they live in,” Shoup said. “When they get an apartment or a house off campus, it is not going to be the MSU police that come help them. It is going to be Starkville or Oktibbeha county (police),”
Parking and Transportation
            Wiseman said county officials are investigating ways to reduce traffic to campus and improve parking problems. The city of Starkville and MSU are collaborating on a new bus route that should reduce the number of students parking on campus. Oktibbeha County supervisors are revisiting long term plans to create ring roads around MSU to make it more accessible.
 ”Ring roads will stop a lot of these traffic jams, making (MSU) much more accessible from other highways not only for students and faculty but for visitors to the campus and certainly for those coming in for big athletic events. I think we have got to start revisiting some of those plans, because that is going to make a difference,” Wiseman said.
 
Despite the low student-voter outcome, Shoup said he finds students at MSU are incredibly involved politically. He said the degree of political concern at schools of similar structure and design, founded as land grant institutions with large engineering programs, is incomparable to what he has noticed at MSU.
 ”The number of students I see involved … indicates there is a degree of concern about the broader world they live in. That is always a refreshing thing to see because democracy only works as well as the voters in it,” he said.