Cook County officials are considering moving two polling sites to Northwestern’s campus for the April 3 municipal elections, but the changes might not alleviate crowding in student-dominated precincts, City Clerk Mary Morris said Wednesday.
After a high voter turnout and a paperwork backlog created long lines at two Evanston polling locations in November, the county is adding election judges and upgrading equipment to make the lines move faster, Morris said.
About 1,500 South Campus and Evanston residents are registered to vote in the Sixth Precinct of the First Ward, making it nearly three times larger than an average Cook County precinct.
Many of those residents, who vote at the Evanston Public Library, waited in two-hour lines during the November election.
The lines could grow even longer after student groups embark on another voter registration campaign before the April 3 elections, said Lucile Krasnow, NU’s community relations specialist.
“Students have shown up in tremendous numbers and have taken the challenge,” Krasnow said. “Students deserve a precinct of their own.”
But Morris said drastic changes, such as adding a new precinct, are unlikely before the census results are tabulated next year. At that time, the county will use census data to redraw district lines, eliminating many of the current problems, Morris said.
Before April’s elections, the county is looking at moving seven polling places to make them accessible to the disabled – including moving one site to the Technological Institute, Morris said. Many North Campus residents in the Ninth Precinct of the Seventh Ward who voted at the Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in November might now be able to vote at Tech.
Morris said the moves will make all Evanston polling locations comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which mandates that polling locations be wheelchair-accessible.
Also, University President Henry Bienen has asked the county to move one polling location from the Evanston Public Library to Parkes Hall, an option that is still under consideration, according to Scott Burnham, spokesman for the Cook County Clerk’s Office.
Student group leaders have been pushing for the on-campus sites since November. In the weeks leading up the election, student groups registered about 1,200 people.
Associated Student Government President Adam Humann said they will kick off a similar registration drive Feb. 19.
But with April’s elections approaching, Humann called the county’s efforts “completely unacceptable” and said county officials are doing little to make it easier for students to vote.
Although some Evanston polling locations are located directly across the street from each other, NU students currently cannot even vote on campus, he said.
“It’s really interesting that we’re having such a difficult time getting this polling place closer to students when students comprise three-quarters of the ward,” said Humann, a Weinberg senior. “We have a massive campaign to combat voter apathy between the ages of 18 and 24. We’re motivated to change that trend. You’d think they’d be jumping to help us.”
If county officials do not split the precinct, Krasnow said, the public library might have four times as many voters as an average precinct.
Burnham said the county is looking at several options to ease the long lines, including upgrading equipment and boosting the number of personnel.
“Our goal is to reduce lines and make it easier and more pleasant for voters,” Burnham said. “We’ll do that. We’re just figuring out the best way to go about it.”
Student turnout in the First Ward will become particularly important in the April election, where Kellogg Prof. Allan Drebin is challenging incumbent Ald. Arthur Newman for the seat.
“I’d imagine there would be more turnout in all the wards with contested races,” Morris said. “People know they have a choice in the race.”
