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Bone Student Center saw 'record-breaking' voter turnout from the community on Election Day

Long lines stretched throughout Illinois State University's Bone Student Center for much of the evening on Tuesday as voters anxiously awaited to perform their civic duty. It should come as no surprise that the facility—which served as one of the many voting centers in McLean County—saw "record-breaking" numbers on Election Day. Paige Buschman, associate director for the Center for Civic Engagement, assisted at the Bone Student Center from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, and talked about the massive turnout numbers. “Record-breaking is an understatement in many ways. We anticipated once early voting was getting such massive traction, that Election Day might be busy, but I think we didn’t really expect 3,000 until we were a few in, and then were like ‘oh wow, I think we might actually hit 3,000,'” Buschman said. According to Buschman, 3,233 individuals voted at the Bone Student Center on Election Day, which was approximately equal to the number of early voters seen throughout the last two weeks. During the busiest early voting days, Buschman said the maximum votes cast in a day at the Bone Student Center hit around 500 people, compared to Election Day, which saw an average of 300 voters per hour. When asked if the polls ran into any issues, Buschman cited long lines as the only concern they encountered. “There were some points where it was getting a little congested, and the line was getting a little long," Buschman said. "At one point, in peak mid-day, the line was so long that it went from the Brown Ballroom, all the way out the back doors of the Bone by Milner Library.” “We saw a really significant amount of same-day voter registration, and that’s actually where the line came from," Buschman continued. "Folks who were already registered had almost no wait for getting into the polling place.” For the line of voters already registered, the longest Buschman observed the line to be was 10 people. This was not something unique to the Bone Student Center, as voters across the country had experienced long lines on Election Day. Buschman provided her thoughts on the issue. “All things considered, we do prepare for worst-case scenarios and major, major issues on Election Day, and none of those things really happened. If long lines are the worst we can say, I think we’re very pleased with that,” Buschman said. Buschman shared what the Center for Civic Engagement took away from the significant turnout. “What we learned is that we're going to push our online registration and early voting efforts a lot in the future,” Buschman said. The Center for Civic Engagement are currently in the process of brainstorming ways to execute this push for online registration and early voting. Buschman listed potential tactics like opening up an additional voting room and holding longer early voting periods. Although there remains work to be done, Buschman is very proud of the voter encouragement provided by the Center for Civic Engagement. Often voters—especially in a non-swing state like Illinois—question if their vote truly matters, and have lost faith in the democratic process. Buschman insisted that voting and elections are essential to our democracy, and its value cannot be overstated. “It’s an opportunity to honor the people who have fought for our right and privilege to vote,” Buschman said.
BELLA MARELLO | News and Features Reporter | Thu, Nov 7, 2024

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