Connor Cheung, 5, of Flossmoor, marched up to the ballot box on Sunday, Nov. 1, with confidence, declared he knew all about the candidates, voted, claimed his “I voted” sticker and gave a thumbs up when asked how it went.
Oh, and picked up a candy treat for his efforts.
Connor and his two sisters, Avery, 7, and Katelyn, 11, were practicing the political franchise in a polling booth set up in the driveway of the Hoereth family in Flossmoor.
Joe and Michelle Hoereth have hosted a polling place for kids since their oldest child, Caleb, was 6. He is now 18 and will have his first opportunity to vote in the official election on Tuesday.
Joe said the purpose of the family’s election tradition was to make voting become a habit, to get them to think about it regularly.
“We wanted to normalize voting,” Michelle said. She serves as president of the Flossmoor School District 161 Board of Education. “We wanted our kids to grow up in a house where this is what we do. We have a profound appreciation for the right to vote, and we wanted them to have an appreciation for it.”
As confessed news junkies, they said their children are exposed to the issues of the day.
Ian Hoereth, 16, cast his first ballot when he was 3.
“I think it’s pretty cool,” he said. “It gives kids a chance to see what they are going to be able to do when they are 18 and can vote.”
The Hoereth boys were not the only informed voters at the event.
Michael James Burnett said voting felt good. His mom, Lindsey Burnett, said the family talks about the importance of voting, in part because her great-uncle died in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.
“He’s been thinking a lot about it,” she said of Michael. “We had a family member who died for our rights. That’s why it’s so important for us.”
Ari Bradley traveled with his mom 12 miles from Frankfort to vote. He described the process.
“Today I voted. I had to check off the name, and then I folded my piece of paper and put it in the box,” he said. He agreed with Michael’s reason for taking the time to vote. “It’s just important.”
From the turnout and response of parents and kids, the Hoereths learned that there were other families who cherished the opportunity to instill the voting practice in their children.
Michelle said that during a previous election, after they had closed the poll for the day, “I had a parent call and said ‘I know it’s late and I know it’s dark but I really want my son to do this.’ You would have really thought it was the real deal.”
They reopened the polling station so the youngster could have the experience of voting.
The turnout was slightly lower this year than in years past, Michelle said. In the past, the family has had as many as 70 voters. The final turnout was 49 young voters on Sunday. The weather, cold and windy, could have been a factor, along with the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
The impediments actually help make the point, she added.
“It’s cold outside but that’s OK because on Nov. 3, regardless what the weather is, we’re going to get out and vote,” she said.
The simple driveway polling place was chilly, but it had one advantage over the much more complex real thing. Results were available Sunday night. News reports suggest that might not be the case with the official election.
Local youngsters favored former Vice President Joe Biden by 96% over incumbent Donald Trump.
