The Lake County Board of Elections and Registration decided to postpone three requests to change early voting locations until before the general election as it approved the early voting locations for the upcoming primary election.
As the board was discussing a resolution to establish polling locations for early voting, which begins April 7, for the 2026 primary election, it was presented with three proposals to change the early voting locations in Wicker Park, Lowell Town Hall and the assessor’s office.
Highland Republican Party Chairman Jeff Rosignol submitted a request to relocate the Wicker Park early voting site to the Lincoln Center, according to an email he sent to election officials.
Rosignol wrote that he wanted to relocate the Wicker Park location “based on observed deficiencies from the previous election cycle, including an incident where the building was left unlocked, inadequate exterior lighting and other potential security issues.”
In the previous election, the Wicker Park building was left unlocked overnight, which “exposed voting equipment, ballots and sensitive materials to potential tampering, theft or unauthorized access,” Rosignol wrote.
“Such an event could undermine election integrity and lead to legal challenges and exposed public scrutiny,” Rosignol wrote.
The poor exterior lighting could also “increase the vulnerability to criminal activities,” which can endanger voters and staff, Rosignol said. Further, Rosignol said voters at Wicker Park experience long wait times.
“These security shortcomings could result in heightened risks during high-turnout periods, potentially leading to incidents that erode confidence in the voting process,” Rosignol wrote.
If the board doesn’t address the concerns at Wicker Park, Rosignol wrote, it could lead to increased liability for election officials if there were a security breach; decreased voter turnout over safety concerns; and further negative media coverage or complaints from advocacy groups.
Lincoln Center would offer entry points with “reliable locking mechanisms and surveillance systems,” well-lit outdoor areas, ADA compliance, and space to accommodate voters, Rosignol wrote.
“Relocating the early voting site to Lincoln Center is a proactive step to prioritize security while also enhancing accessibility,” Rosignol wrote. “By addressing the documented issues, we will foster a safer, more inclusive voting environment. This change will not only protect the electoral process but also encourage greater civic engagement.”
Tri-Creek School Corporation Superintendent Andy Anderson submitted a letter requesting that the district’s administrative office, 2055 East Commercial Avenue in Lowell, take the place of the Lowell Town Hall early voting location.
If the location were in the district’s administrative office, it would allow students to be more civically engaged in the election process. It would allow them to see how a polling location is set up, draw awareness to voting timelines, and encourage students who can vote and parents dropping their children off to cast a ballot.
The district office is highly visible and easily accessible, Anderson wrote, with 80 parking spaces available during school hours and 193 available after school hours. The building is also secure and separate from the school, he wrote.
The building is also ADA accessible and has secured, lockable spaces for election equipment to be securely stored, Anderson wrote.
Jane Wallace, St. John and St. John Township Democratic precinct organization chair, wrote an email to election officials requesting that the St. John Assessor’s Office no longer hold early voting.
“It’s simply too small and cannot accommodate the number of voters it is intended to service,” Wallace wrote. “It does not have enough room for people to assemble, so lines form outside and it does not have enough machines to avoid those lines. We also need better security overnight for the machines.”
Wallace said she’s heard many complaints about the location. She did not offer a replacement site.
Lake County Board of Elections and Registration director Michelle Fajman said the St. John Community Center has been discussed as an option in the past to replace the assessor’s office.
Fajman told the board that the office’s staff recommendation was to consider the early voting location changes ahead of the general election, not the upcoming primary election.
“We haven’t had the time to talk with both sides and to go out and survey some of these locations and to see if they are a good fit,” Fajman said.
Lake County Clerk Michael Brown said that voters are familiar with the current voting locations and the requests to change the locations weren’t brought “in a timely manner.”
Board chair Kevin Smith said he has “no problem” considering the polling location changes ahead of the general election, but not ahead of the May 5 primary election. Smith said he’d like for each party chairman and election office officials to review the proposed locations over the course of a few months.
Lake County Board of Elections and Registration assistant director Jessica Messler said the Wicker Park location “has been an issue for years now, at least in the last few election cycles.”
Messler, who is the Republican head of the office, said the Republicans don’t support moving the early voting location to the Tri-Creek School Corporation administrative office because there haven’t been any complaints, at the party level, made about the Lowell Town Hall location.
“We’ve had that polling location established for years and that’s where everybody knows where to go,” Messler said.
In St. John, Messler said, while many concerns have been raised with holding early voting in the assessor’s office, it’s been challenging to find another location in the area. Smith said he’d like to see a new early voting location in St. John.
Board member John Reed said the board should proceed “business as usual until the general, then let’s dig into this.”
The board approved a resolution establishing early voting in-person polling locations:
•Carrie Gosch Early Learning Center, 4001 Indianapolis Boulevard, East Chicago.
•Gary Public Library, 220 W. 5th Avenue, Gary.
•Hammond County Courthouse, 232 Russell Street, Hammond.
•Munster Town Hall, 1005 Ridge Road, Munster.
•Winfield Government Complex, 10645 Randolph Street, Winfield.
•Hobart Police Community Center, 705 E. 4th Street, Hobart.
•Wicker Park Breezeway, 8554 Indianapolis Boulevard, Highland.
•Schererville Town Hall, 10 E. Joliet Street, Schererville.
•Lowell Town Hall, 501 East Main Street, Lowell.
•St. John Assessor’s Office, 9157 Wicker Avenue, St John.
The locations will hold early voting from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with extended hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays.
The locations will hold early voting from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the two Saturdays before Election Day, and from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the Monday before Election Day.
The Lake County Board of Elections and Registration office, 2293 N. Main Street, Room A-205, in Crown Point, will also hold early in-person voting.
The office will hold early voting from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The office will hold early voting from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays.
The office will hold early voting from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. the two Saturdays before Election Day, and from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. the Monday before Election Day.
akukulka@post-trib.com
