More than 4,000 Johnson County residents have already voted in this year’s election — with two weeks remaining until Election Day.
The rare early voting streak for Johnson County continued into its third week on Monday in the basement of the Johnson County Courthouse, where a steady stream of voters filed in and out. Some voters say they are casting their ballots early because they’ve realized it’s more convenient.
If you want to vote before Election Day and can’t make it to downtown Franklin during the week, sites are open on Saturday and Nov. 3 for early voting.
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Early voting first became popular across the country in the 2008 presidential primary. And while Johnson County has always opened the courthouse and other sites in the weeks before the election, this is the first time turnout has soared.
As of 10 a.m. Monday, 4,370 people had voted early, including the 1,074 resident who have mailed in ballots. Another 1,002 ballots have been mailed to voters.
More than 1,000 people voted in the first week the courthouse was open for voting, compared to 121 early voters in the first week during the 2014 midterm election.
Turnout is significantly higher than usual, Clerk Sue Anne Misiniec said.
“This will definitely affect Election Day. We always have heavy Election Days. But now, I don’t know,” Misiniec said.
Early voting turnout has already topped the total number of residents who voted early in the primary earlier this year. That mark was hit before the county opens additional sites and weekend hours leading up to Nov. 6.
Additional vote centers are slated to open this weekend at Trafalgar Public Library, Vineyard Christian Church and Edinburgh Public Library. If the turnout at the courthouse in the first nine days of voting is any indication, poll workers are going to be busy, Misiniec said.
Early voter turnout has fluctuated in recent years. In the 2016 presidential election, 32 percent of voters — or about 21,681 people — voted early, which is the record for Johnson County. But overall through the years, few people have taken advantage of early voting, until now, Misiniec said.
Donna Ray voted early for the first time on Monday. The Franklin resident wanted to make sure she and her husband wouldn’t miss out on voting, she said.
“I was afraid something would happen and we wouldn’t get to. I didn’t want to sit there and think, ‘we should’ve voted.’ With the country the way it is, I think it’s more important now than ever,” Ray said. “There’s a lot going on.”
Now that she’s tried voting before Election Day, she prefers it, she said.
Brad Brandun was in and out of the courthouse within 15 minutes. The 71-year-old Bargersville resident has voted early for years, he said.
“You just never know if you’ll be in the area on Election Day, so this is a convenient way to make sure your vote counts,” Brandun said.
A University of Indianapolis student voted for the first time on Monday.
Evan Ray, an 18-year-old from Greenwood, voted with his parents, who recommended they do it early to avoid long lines at a vote center on Nov. 6, he said.
“They said we wouldn’t wait as long if we did it now and they were right. It was a light day for me at school, so I figured, you know, why not?” Ray said. “The vote still counts the same today as it would later.”
Others said they voted early because they were in downtown Franklin running errands or would be out of town on Election Day. Several just didn’t want to wait in long lines on Nov. 6.
Voters will select a new sheriff, clerk, township trustees, school board members and state senators.
Maybe it’s carry over from the controversy surrounding the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination; maybe it’s because of an influx of political ads this election; or maybe it’s because people are fed up, Misiniec said.
None of the votes will be counted until Election Day, she said.
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Here is a look at where and when you can cast your ballot early:
Johnson County Courthouse, 5 E. Jefferson St., Franklin
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 3
8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Nov. 5
Trafalgar Public Library, 424 S. Tower Street, Trafalgar
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 3
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 1 and 2
Vineyard Christian Church, 512 S. Madison Ave, Greenwood
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 3
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 1 and 2
Edinburgh Public Library, 119 W. Main Cross St., Edinburgh
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 3
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 1 and 2
Mount Pleasant Christian Church, 381 N. Bluff Road, Greenwood
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 1 and 2
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 3
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