Today is the day for voters to make their voices heard.
From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, Election Day, voters will cast ballots to nominate Republican and Democratic candidates seeking office on nearly all levels — federal, state, county and even a municipal office. Voters in both parties have contested races and uncontested offices on their ballots.
For the primary, federal offices up are president, U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative for District 6. State offices include governor, and for Johnson County specifically, there are four state representatives and three state senators up in the primary.
County offices include coroner, surveyor, treasurer, county commissioners for Districts 1 and 3, three county council at-large seats and judges for Circuit Court and Superior Court 1. The town of Prince’s Lakes has two at-large town council seats up this year, as a result of a change that staggered terms for the five-member council.
Candidates selected by Democratic and Republican voters in their respective primaries in May will then proceed to the general election, where they will face off against the opposing party, along with any Independent or third-party candidates that file. This includes Libertarians.
Several races are contested for this year’s primaries, with more contested races to come in the fall once candidates are nominated.
Republican voters will have to choose between six candidates for Indiana governor, a seven-way race for Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District, two candidate races for county commissioner and coroner, and six candidates for three at-large nominations for county council on the ballot. Voters who live in southern White River Township, along with Union and Hensley townships, also have a two-way race for Indiana Senate District 37. There is also a contested race for Prince’s Lakes Town Council, with five candidates seeking two at-large seats.
Local Democrats have two contested races for the primary. There is a two-way race for the U.S. Senate, as well as four candidates for three Johnson County Council nominations.
The contested races for both major parties come despite their presidential picks being all but decided. Incumbent President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is expected to have a rematch with former President Donald Trump, a Republican.
A total of 120,420 Johnson County residents are registered and eligible to vote in Tuesday’s election. For this election, 6,089 people cast their vote through in-person early voting by close of early voting at noon Monday, according to Johnson County Voter Registration.
Presidential election years typically have higher than normal turnout, which could lead to longer lines on Primary Election Day. The last presidential primary in 2020 saw a turnout of 21.5%, but this was affected by delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2016 primary saw a turnout of 39.8%, data shows.
However, turnout for early voting has been lower than what election officials expected. It is hard to predict voter turnout, Johnson County Clerk Trena McLaughlin previously said.
Nineteen locations — churches, libraries and government buildings — will house vote centers today. Three locations — Mt. Pleasant Christian Church, Grace Assembly of God and Scott Hall at the Johnson County Fairgrounds — will feature two vote centers at the same location, making for a total of 22 vote centers. Johnson County voters can use any vote center in the county.
Voters who have not voted in the last few elections will see modified voting machines, which are now placed in new, larger cases that contain the machines and verified paper audit trail systems, or VVPATs. The change is designed to make it simpler for poll workers to assemble them at voting centers.
Voters must remember to bring their state-issued driver’s license or ID, or another form of acceptable identification. These other forms include passports, military IDs or an ID from a state-funded college, according to the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office.
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles locations will be open to issue a voter ID for anyone who doesn’t have one, according to the agency. The BMV will have extended hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today.
WHERE TO VOTE
Here is a look at approved Johnson County Election Day vote centers. Voters can vote from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today:
» Mt. Auburn Methodist Church, 3100 W. Stones Crossing Road, Greenwood
» Mt. Pleasant Christian Church, 381 N. Bluff Road, Greenwood (Two vote centers)
» White River Public Library, 1664 Library Blvd., Greenwood
» White River Township Trustee’s Office, 2929 S. Morgantown Road, Greenwood
» Community Church of Greenwood (main entrance foyer), 1477 W. Main St., Greenwood
» Greenwood Christian Church, 2045 Averitt Road, Greenwood
» Greenwood Public Library (east door), 310 S. Meridian St., Greenwood
» Greenwood Bible Baptist Church, 1461 Sheek Road, Greenwood
» Rocklane Christian Church, 4430 Rocklane Road, Greenwood
» Grace Assembly of God, 6822 N. U.S. Highway 31, New Whiteland (Two vote centers)
» Clark Pleasant Public Library, 350 Clearwater Blvd., Whiteland
» Bargersville Town Hall, 24 N. Main St., Bargersville
» Franklin Parks & Recreation Center, 396 Branigin Blvd./State St., Franklin
» Grace United Methodist Church, 1300 E. Adams Drive, Franklin
» Amity Volunteer Fire Department, 3247 S. County Road 550 E., Franklin
» Trafalgar Public Library, 424 S. Tower St., Trafalgar
» Prince’s Lakes Town Hall, 14 E. Lakeview Drive, Nineveh
» John R. Drybread Community Center, 100 E. Main Cross St., Edinburgh
» Scott Hall, Johnson County Fairgrounds, 250 Fairground St., Franklin (Two vote centers)
Source: Johnson County Voter Registration
ELECTION CENTRAL
Stay in the loop. Get the latest vote totals tonight on our website: dailyjournal.net.
Need to know more about the candidates in this year’s election? Go online to dailyjournal.net/local/elections/.
TELL US YOUR STORY
Let us know how voting goes for you. Lines wrapped around the building? Didn’t have the correct ID? End up at a vote center that’s closed this election? Call us at 317-736-2774 or email [email protected].
