DAILY JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
Early voting in Johnson County starts Tuesday, as the Johnson County courthouse opens its doors for the first in-person voters of the 2022 election season.
Local Republicans will decide races at all levels of government — from the county prosecutor and town council members to state representatives to U.S. senators. There are more than 45 local, state and federal offices on the ballot, as well as elections for delegates to the Democratic and Republican state conventions, and Democrat precinct committeemen. Democrats and Republicans will choose which congressional candidate they would like to see advance to the general election in the fall.
Contested local races are for prosecutor, county council districts 1 and 4, town councils in Bargersville, New Whiteland and Edinburgh, Nineveh Township Trustee, and the Union Township seat on the Franklin Union Needham Township Board.
People who haven’t registered to vote in the primary election can still register by 11:59 p.m. Monday. Voters can register online or deliver their application to the Johnson County courthouse, said Trena McLaughlin, Johnson County clerk.
Voters who meet certain qualifications also vote absentee by mail. Those include being out of Johnson County the entirety of Election Day polling hours, being confined to a hospital, residence or health care facility due to injury or illness during Election Day, caring for an individual who is injured or ill during polling hours, being at least 65 years old, having a disability, among other possible reasons, according to Indiana’s mail-in ballot application. Absentee by mail applications must be delivered or mailed to the Johnson County courthouse by April 21 at 11:59 p.m.
Mail-in ballots have become increasingly popular. In first eight days of mail-in voting this election, the courthouse fulfilled 235 requests for mail-in ballots, compared to 90 during the first eight days of mail-in voting during the 2018 election, McLaughlin said.
It is more useful to compare the 2018 primaries to the 2022 primaries because 2020 was a presidential election year, she said.
While most voting is done by mail or on Election Day, there are still plenty of people who are eager to vote in-person on the first day they can. In 2018, 90 people voted on the first day of early voting, McLaughlin said.
More early voting sites will open across Johnson County closer to Election Day. Satellite early voting centers will open at White River Public Library, Greenwood Public Library, Trafalgar Public Library, John R. Drybread Community Center, Greenwood Village South Retirement Community and Otterbein SeniorLife Community, according to documents from the Johnson County clerk.
Despite near-pandemic lows for positivity rate and daily COVID-19 cases, the county will still continue sanitary precautions at polling places, McLaughlin said.
“We are definitely going to use sneeze guards again,” she said. “We will still have cleaning equipment and will clean the machines. We are using glass machines but we will definitely have them spread out and, they’re not required, but some locations are strongly urging our poll workers to wear masks.”
Where to Vote Early
Johnson County Courthouse, 5 E. Jefferson St., Franklin, will be open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., beginning Tuesday. The courthouse is also open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 23 and 30, and 8:30 a.m. to noon, May 2.
The following vote centers will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., April 25 to 29 and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., April 23 and 30:
- White River Public Library, 1664 Library Boulevard, Greenwood
- Greenwood Public Library (east door), 310 S. Meridian St.,
- Trafalgar Public Library, 424 S. Tower St.
- John R. Drybread Community Center, 100 E. Main Cross St., Edinburgh.
Voting Quick Facts
- Voters must register by 11:59 p.m. Monday.
- Visit indianavoters.com or complete an application at the Johnson County courthouse, located at 5 E. Jefferson St., Franklin, before the courthouse closes at 4:30 p.m.
- Mail-in voters can pick up an application at the courthouse or by following instructions found at indianavoters.com.
- Mail-in voting applications must be received by the courthouse on April 21 or earlier.
- Mail should be addressed to Johnson County Voter Registration, P.O. Box 451, Franklin, IN, 46131.
Source: Johnson County Clerk’s Office.
