Local News

Early voting options to start next week

October 14, 2019

Eligible voters can start casting their ballots for city and town leaders and a school referendum next week and in the following two weeks leading up to the municipal election Nov. 5.

Johnson County Clerk Trena McLaughlin encourages anyone who is ready to vote to cast a ballot at one of more than a dozen early voting sites and avoid waiting in line on Election Day.

"We have given every voter the chance to not have to wait in line," McLaughlin said. "There are lots of contested races this time, so I’m not sure how busy sites are going to be (on Election Day)."

Voters will choose among Republican, Democrat and Independent candidates who they want to lead their cities and towns as mayors, clerk-treasurers or members of their city and town councils. The candidate pool was narrowed during the May primary election, when Republicans selected their top picks to advance to the upcoming general election.

Most voters in the county have decisions to make, except those who live in New Whiteland, which has no contested races, and some who live in unincorporated Johnson County.

In White River Township, voters who would not normally vote in a municipal election will be asked to head to the polls to decide whether to approve a Center Grove schools referendum, which would raise property taxes in the area by 11.5 cents for every $100 of assessed value, and generate $24.8 million over the course of eight years starting in 2020. The goal of the referendum is to increase live monitoring of facilities, including a wall of footage at the Emergency Operations Center, set to open next September.

Election officials hope to see a strong turnout each year, and the first indication is how many people vote early.

"I would love to see 50 percent, but I know that’s not going to happen," McLaughlin said. "I am hoping for 10 percent."

Early voter turnout has fluctuated in recent years. For example, in the 2016 presidential election, 32 percent of voters voted early, breaking a record for Johnson County. But overall, few people take advantage of early voting. Last November, 23 percent of voters voted early. And in the primary election this spring, about a third of the nearly 12 percent of voters who cast ballots did so early.

The Johnson County Courthouse will be open weekdays for early voting beginning Oct. 21. It will also be open Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 — both are Saturdays — and until noon Nov. 4, the day before Election Day.

The Trafalgar Public Library, Vineyard Community Church in Greenwood, John R. Drybread Community Center in Edinburgh and White River Public Library are other places residents can vote early. You can vote at any of the locations regardless of your address, as long as you live in Johnson County.

None of the votes are counted until Election Day.

Having some people vote early helps keep the wait at voting centers shorter on Election Day and makes it easier for staff to tally as soon as they’re allowed, McLaughlin said. But mostly, they offer it because oftentimes it’s more convenient for the voters.

Although county officials recently decided to buy all new election equipment, voters will not see those changes in this election. They will vote the same way they did on the same equipment they raved about in the spring primary. The new equipment, which the county decided to purchase from its current, temporary vendor and includes a paper trail, will be available in time for the 2020 presidential election.

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Here is a look at when and where 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, starting Oct. 21.