Archive: Opinions

Voter turnout in Lansing was pretty good Tuesday.  My theory is that it was the food.  Every election day the North Lansing Auxiliary serves dinner and supper, and voters turned out in droves.  The all-volunteer group cooks and serves the meals at Fire Station #4 in North Lansing on Auburn Road.  I have to admit that the line for the food was longer than the line for voting.  But I saw a lot of people come out of the voting booth and get right in line for supper.


Maybe that is the key to solving low voter turnout.  For only $7 you could get ham, chicken, potatoes, squash, beets, cole slaw, coffee and pie.  Everything was delicious, and the company was good, too.  The meals are served at long tables, and stranger or friend, there was someone for everyone to talk to. 

I saw candidate for Sheriff Brian Robison, who was enjoying the event.  He had voted in Groton earlier in the day, and came to meet people.  He seemed relaxed and low-key, grateful that the long campaign was over.  And enjoying the food.


There were other benefits as well.  As long as you were eating at the fire station, you weren't home to receive those annoying recorded telephone messages the campaigns plagued us with.  And more important, the proceeds from the meals go to several good causes including the fire station itself, scholarships for local students, Hospicare, Loaves and Fishes, the Salvation Army, the Lansing Food Pantry, the Gossett Center and anybody that is in need when tragedy strikes.


By late afternoon Election Inspector estimated that half the people in the districts that vote at Station #4 had already voted.  That's a pretty good number, especially in an off-presidential year.  It's a very good number.  And I attribute it to the food.  What a great idea, feeding democracy.  Literally!

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