No lines for Early Voting at the Lansing Public Library

Still open Saturday until 5:00, Sunday until 4:00pm, and Monday until 5:00pm

by Melanie Jongsma

LANSING, Ill. (March 30, 2019) – Early Voting has been quiet so far at the Lansing Public Library. By 10:00am this morning, the total was only 681 voters who had taken advantage of the option. By comparison, neighboring South Holland, a village whose population is slightly lower than Lansing’s, has seen 1,216 early voters so far.

The trio of Equipment Managers who are serving as Election Judges for Lansing—Linda Powell, Carolyn Smith, and Sheller Washington—have been creative about keeping boredom at bay. Yesterday they honored the military by all dressing in camouflage. Earlier this week they tried a new tofu recipe. And Washington has been crocheting hats for the homeless.

But they would rather be helping people vote.

No reason not to vote

The three are not sure why turnout has been down, citing the elimination of all the typical barriers to participation—this year’s weather has been good, the hours have been convenient, and information about the candidates and races is available. In fact, they keep copies of the March 6 Lansing Journal at their table for people to refer to while voting. And they let people know the information is available online.

Including today, there are three days left for Early Voting at the Lansing Public Library:

• Saturday, March 30, until 5:00pm
• Sunday, March 31, 10:00am–4:00pm (The library is closed, but Early Voting is open.)
• Monday, April 1, 9:00am–5:00pm

The library is located at 2750 Indiana Avenue in Lansing.

And Lansing’s last chance to vote will be Election Day, Tuesday, April 2. The polls open at 6:00am and close at 7:00pm. To find your polling place, input your address and last name at the Cook County website:

• www.cookcountyclerk.com/service/polling-places