LT takes part in National Voter Registration Day

Lyons Township High School seniors Danielle Gresge and Kathryn Stoettner, both of Western Springs, were the first two students to register to vote this morning on National Voter Registration Day and LT’s Homecoming Stars and Stripes spirit day. Members of the LaGrange Area League of Women Voters were out in force registering new voters at the Stone Avenue train station.

Last year, a significant change in Illinois voting law now allows 17-year-olds to vote in the March primary if they will be 18-years-old by the general election day in November. This means virtually every high school senior and even some juniors are able to cast their first votes before the end of the school year.

Gresge said she is anxious to be a part of the process and to cast her vote. Stoettner took an Advanced Placement U.S. History course last year and is ready and prepared to vote. LT Social Studies teachers discussed the new legislation with students and posters were hung in the cafeteria and hallways encouraging eligible students to register.

For several years, LT has partnered with the LaGrange Area League of Women Voters for help registering students and this year is no exception. The League will help certify students as registrars later this year, and in conjunction with the National League of Women Voters, will help promote nonpartisan voter information at the state and local levels to help voters, especially first time voters, make informed decisions. Statewide candidate information can be found at www.vote411.org, and information on local candidates can be accessed at www.lwvil.org.