Extension council candidates to be on Nov. 6 ballot in all Iowa counties

AMES - Iowa voters in every county have the opportunity to elect five members to their county's Iowa State University Extension and Outreach council in the Nov. 6 general election.

'The extension council members elected this year will be involved in bringing Iowa State University educational opportunities to their counties for the next four years,” said Robert Dodds, assistant vice president for ISU Extension and Outreach County Services.

Every county in Iowa has a nine-member extension council of volunteers who have been elected by county residents. ISU Extension and Outreach educational programming at the county level is a cooperative effort involving local citizens, Iowa State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Extension council members are elected at large, and all voters in a county are eligible to vote for five candidates this year. Depending on the county, candidates on this year's ballot include Iowans who are running for the first time as well as incumbents seeking another term.

Successful candidates will take office in January 2019. Extension council members make policy, programming and budget decisions for ISU Extension and Outreach at the county level.

'ISU Extension and Outreach is a 99-county campus, connecting the needs of Iowans with Iowa State University research and resources,” Dodds said.

County councils contribute bringing research-based programs from Iowa State University to local communities.