Voters check-in before casting their ballots at the Greenwood Public Library. The vote center saw a steady stream of candidates all day long, poll workers said.
DAILY JOURNAL FILE PHOTOS
Voter turn out was lower for this year’s primary than in recent history.
Of Johnson County’s 115,213 registered voters, a total of 14,072 cast ballots in Tuesday’s Democratic and Republican primaries, representing a 12.2% turnout, according to Johnson County Voter Registration.
More voters vote in-person on Election Day
Before the primary election on Tuesday, 4,350 voters cast their ballots by mail or through early voting at one of seven vote centers throughout the county. The majority of these votes came from early voting at a vote center, with mail-in ballots accounting for 781 votes. There were 928 absentee ballot applications sent out and 781 were returned and counted on Election Day, county data shows.
On Election Day, 9,722 voters cast their ballots in person at 19 vote centers, data shows.
The most used vote centers were the Johnson County Public Library’s White River Township branch with1,161 votes, the Greenwood Public Library with 725 and Mount Pleasant Christian Church with 719, data from the Johnson County Clerk’s Office shows.
Low turnout is typical for mid-term elections, though the 12% turnout is the lowest the county has had since 2014, when turnout was 9%, data from the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office shows.
Johnson County Clerk Trena McLaughlin predicted Monday that voter turnout for this primary would be lower than both the 2020 and 2018 primary elections. The 2020 presidential primary had a record 21.5% turnout, while 2018 had 18%, data shows.
The turnout in 2018 was likely due the contested sheriff’s race which brought more voters out, McLaughlin said Monday.
Looking ahead to the fall
While most of the offices on the ballot in November are uncontested as of now, voters of both parties will have choices at the federal level, if nothing else.
Voters will choose between Democrat Thomas McDermott, Jr. and Republican incumbent Todd Young for one open U.S. Senate seat. For U.S. Congressional District 6, voters will have to choose between Democrat Cynthia “Cinde” Wirth and Republican incumbent Greg Pence.
In the Indiana Statehouse, there is currently only one contested race for county voters: Indiana Senate District 41. Voters will choose between Democrat Bryan Muñoz and Republican incumbent Greg Walker for one open seat. With the new district boundaries, Walker represents county residents in Franklin, Needham, Nineveh and Blue River Townships and southern Pleasant Township.
Locally, there are a several township board races that are contested. Local Democrats have registered to run in Clark, Pleasant, White River, and Franklin Needham Union Township.
Non-partisan school board seats in six school districts will also be on the ballot this fall. A total of 16 seats on the Center Grove, Clark Pleasant, Edinburgh, Franklin, Greenwood and Indian Creek school boards will be up for grabs for district residents.
PRIMARY ELECTION VOTER TURNOUT
Here’s a look at turnout compared to past, non-presidential, mid-term elections.
2022: 12%
2018: 18%
2014: 9%
2010: 22%
2006: 16%
