With contractions five minutes apart, Kansas woman Tessa Von Fange goes to polling station while in labor

A determined trip to vote

Von Fange, a longtime voter who rarely misses an election, went to the Shawnee County Elections Office in Topeka on Monday to cast her ballot. She had been scheduled for an induction after Election Day, but went into active labor at the polling place.

She told WIBW she had been in denial until her water broke. Her contractions were about five minutes apart, but she remained determined to vote.

Help from election workers

Fisher said Von Fange was not overly concerned, in part because it was not her first pregnancy. He said the labor appeared to be progressing faster than she had expected, and that her resolve delighted him and other poll workers.

A daughter arrives early

Morgan was born at 1:16 a.m. Tuesday, weighing 8 pounds, 1 ounce. Von Fange left the polling station with a “Future Voter” sticker and wore it on her belly to the hospital.

The family’s voting message

Chris Von Fange told WIBW that hearing his wife was in labor from an election worker brought “millions of questions.” The couple encouraged others to find time to vote, even when life is busy. Chris said that people can set aside half an hour to visit a polling place and cast a ballot.