INDIANAPOLIS–In Indiana 59 out of 92 counties use vote centers. You’re allowed to vote at any of the vote centers, no matter where you live. The system has been used for a decade in some counties, and is being adopted by some because of the convenience it provides voters.
“I like the idea of vote centers because it gives people the flexibility to vote wherever they are at whatever time they want that they have free to vote,” said Indianapolis City-County Council Vice Pres. Zach Adamson, on primary election morning.
“When you’re polling site’s at a single site location, then you have to do it before you leave home, first thing in the morning, as opposed to your lunch break or some time when you have more flexibility with your time,” he said.
One poll worker said he appreciates the system because it gives people more access to voting.
“I think that’s great. Indiana seems to be one of the few states that makes voting more available,” he said.
Indiana Sec. of State Holli Sullivan began primary morning casting her ballot in her hometown of Evansville, but planned to end the day visiting Anderson. Madison County recently adopted the vote center system, and this is the first election for which it will be used.
Adamson said he hopes that the vote centers are more spread out in the next election, or perhaps the general election in November.
“They moved one out of my neighborhood where people have mobility issues and there are two of them within two blocks of each other here, where the mobility levels are higher.
Adamson was at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site.
He said he’s sometimes disappointed that people don’t engage on primary elections.
“I think civics in this country has taken a nosedive since our greater generations previously. I think that’s a failing of society in general. But, I think our education system needs to stress that, as well,” he said. “We have a party system that really functions in some areas, especially with gerrymandering, where most of the elections are held in the primaries. So, they’re really important.”
