The early voting period for Illinois midterm elections ran from Sept. 27 through Nov. 5, and students who were registered to vote in Champaign County could vote at any of the early voting locations, including the Illini Union.

For Alora Rent, freshman in LAS, waiting in the long line to vote at the Union was worth casting her vote.

“I’ve been waiting for about 50 minutes now,” she said. “I’m okay with waiting if it means I can vote. Fifty minutes isn’t that bad to put my vote in.”

Rent said she believes every vote matters and students should be especially involved in politics. Voting makes her more aware of the state of our country, she said.

“It’s kind of a mindset of thinking about how raindrops can fill up an ocean,” Rent said. “Every little drop is like how every vote counts to one big motion and one big body of change.”

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