<p>Voters hoping to avoid lines on Election Day and wanted a say in local issues that could potentially affect their wallets and how their cities are run were among the first people to vote in this fall’s municipal election.</p>
<p>Early voting began Monday at the Johnson County Courthouse, the kickoff to the election.</p>
<p>Six people were waiting for the polls to open and more people trickled in steadily until nine people voted in the the first 30 minutes of early voting. Others trickled in steadily throughout the first hour. Most wanted to avoid waits on Election Day Nov. 5.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
<p>Voters have the chance to 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>The school referendum in Center Grove and other contested races are expected to bring out more voters, and a vote center has been added at the White River Township Trustees office in anticipation of increased voter turnout in that area, Johnson County Clerk Trena McLaughlin said.</p>
<p>The referendum is what brought Phil and Debbie Wagner to the courthouse to vote in the first 30 minutes of early voting. The White River Township couple will not be available to vote Election Day, but wanted a say in the referendum that would affect their property taxes.</p>
<p>“It affects tax rates. It is important to monitor those things,” Phil Wagner said.</p>
<p>County residents who are unable to vote on Election Day was a driving factor in local residents’ decisions to vote early, as was avoiding lines that could form when turnout is the largest on Election Day.</p>
<p>“It is a lot easier to get through and makes sense,” said Fran Hessler, a Franklin resident.</p>
<p>Residents also said it was easy to vote using MicroVote’s machines. MicroVote is providing equipment for this year’s elections after the county fired ES and S as its election vendor after technical glitches caused long lines during the last general election. ES and S also advised the county to conduct an illegal work around to temporarily fix those issues and get people through the lines.</p>
<p>The county has since hired MicroVote to conduct future elections as well.</p>
<p>“(Voting) was very easy. I like the machines. They are easier than they were before,” said John Quinn, a Franklin resident.</p>
<p>Local election officials are encouraging residents to vote early to avoid Election Day lines and are hoping for at least a 10 percent turnout, McLaughlin said.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Voters who want to vote early can cast a ballot nearly every day, except Sundays at the Johnson County Courthouse.</p>
<p>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, but only on certain dates. You can vote at any of the locations regardless of your address, as long as you live in Johnson County.</p>
<p>None of the votes are counted until Election Day.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="If you go" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p>Here is a look at when and where you can cast your ballot early:</p>
<p><strong>Johnson County Courthouse, 5 E. Jefferson St., Franklin</strong></p>
<p>8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.</p>
<p>8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 2.</p>
<p>8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Nov. 4.</p>
<p><strong>Trafalgar Public Library, 424 S. Tower St., Trafalgar</strong></p>
<p>8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 2.</p>
<p>10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.</p>
<p><strong>Vineyard Community Church, 512 S. Madison Ave, Greenwood</strong></p>
<p>8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 2.</p>
<p>10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.</p>
<p><strong>John R. Drybread Community Center, 100 E. Main Cross St., Edinburgh</strong></p>
<p>8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 2.</p>
<p>10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.</p>
<p><strong>White River Public Library, 1664 Library Blvd., Greenwood</strong></p>
<p>8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Nov. 2.</p>
<p>10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]
