As the upcoming McLean County Consolidated Election approaches on April 1, the Center for Civic Engagement encourages students, faculty, and staff to participate and make their voices heard. While municipal elections have historically low turnout, voting in these elections is a crucial way to shape the future of the community in which Illinois State University is located.
First-time voters or those who need to update their voter registration due to name or address change can register to vote online through March 16. Illinois is also a same-day voter registration state, which means that voters can register or update their registration at the same time as voting at the polls—as long as two forms of ID are provided.
The ballot in Normal includes races for Mayor, Town Council, Heartland Community College Trustee, Normal Public Library Board Trustee, Normal Township Trustees, as well as Normal Township Assessor, Clerk, Highway Commissioner, and Supervisor. Referendums on school funding are also on the ballot. A list of candidates and additional information on the propositions can be found in the Redbird Voter Guide.
Early voting is available at the Government Center (115 E. Washington St.) until March 31. For more details on dates and hours, visit the McLean County Clerk’s website. For those who have chosen to vote by mail, a vote-by-mail drop box in the Bone Student Center is available daily from 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. until Election Day.
All voters registered in McLean County (except Bloomington residents) are eligible to vote on-campus on Election Day. To find other polling places for Election Day, visit the State Board of Elections website or check with your local election office. The Bone Student Center polling place will be open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. on April 1. All those in line by 7 p.m. are entitled to vote.
Civic learning events
The Center for Civic Engagement is partnering with Milner Library, The League of Women Voters of McLean County, the Bloomington-Normal NAACP, and the Chi Beta Beta Chapter and Pi Beta Chapter, an unincorporated association of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. to host a Campus-Community Dialogue on March 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. on the sixth floor of Milner Library.
The Campus-Community Dialogue will promote an evening of conversation about the political system based on the National Issues Institute Forum issue guide titled “A House Divided: What would we have to give up to get the political system we want?” Students, faculty, and staff can register via Redbird Life. Community members should register via the sign-up form. Additional voter engagement and civic learning events can be found in the Events Hub in the Redbird Voter Guide.
