Several candidates are seeking to be the Libertarian Party’s nominee for president in 2016. A straw poll is available online (here) for voters to express their preference. As with all Libertarian ballots, the straw poll includes NOTA, for None of the Above. To learn more about the candidates, links to many of their websites or Facebook pages are available on the LPIA.org website (here).
Students in Iowa schools could be forgiven, though, if they do not realize there are Libertarian candidates running for president. On January 26, 2016, schools will participate in a straw poll as part of the Caucus 101 curriculum developed, in part, with the Iowa Secretary of State. A January 14, 2016 news release from the Office of the Iowa Secretary of State notes the straw poll is for two specific parties, neither of which is the Libertarian Party.
The news release quotes Secretary of State Paul Pate as saying, the straw poll “will provide some interesting insight into which candidates have appealed to Iowa’s youth.”
The news release also quotes Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise: “The Iowa Youth Straw Poll is an opportunity to introduce students to the democratic process and to help them build the knowledge and skills to be active, engaged citizens.”
The Libertarian Party of Iowa believes if we really want to know in which candidates our youth are interested and if we really want those students to become knowledgable and engaged citizens, then there needs to be broader educational opportunities in the classroom.
