If you want to cast your ballot in races for sheriff, state representative or Congress, you don’t have to wait until Election Day.
Early voting begins at the Johnson County Courthouse this week.
Starting Tuesday, voters can cast their ballots in the basement of the courthouse, and election officials hope to see a strong turnout.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Click here to purchase photos from this galleryElection officials have spent the last few days preparing for voting to begin, including testing the voting machines and training workers.
Workers also have been processing voter registration applications from people who have never registered or need to update their information. The deadline to turn those applications in is today.
In the coming weeks, additional voting locations will open in the two Saturdays and last few days before Election Day. But election officials decided to trim some of those days based on low turnout in previous elections.
Johnson County Clerk Sue Misiniec is hopeful for at least a 10 percent turnout, but worries the number could be lower. That is a significant drop from turnout in the 2016 presidential election, which hit 40 percent in the primary and 63 percent in the general election.
“It is a very, very important election, but for some reason, people just don’t turn out for it,” Misiniec said.
The primary election is where candidates will be chosen, and that is important, she said.
This year, voters will be choosing their candidates for multiple offices on the ballot, from sheriff to commissioner and county council to state and federal representatives, she said.
“People don’t see why that is important, but you are picking the ballots for the fall,” she said.
Misiniec also hopes to see an increase in early voting, which the county has especially been promoting since the start of vote centers, where the county opens selected locations on Election Day, rather than a site for each of the more than 100 voting precincts in the county.
Early voting is a convenience, because people don’t have to wait to vote until the 12 hours polls are open on Election Day, she said.
More and more people are trying early voting because of the convenience, but some people want to vote on Election Day, she said.
Election workers will be prepared for any size turnout, but hope for lots of voters to cast their ballots, she said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Register to vote” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
The deadline to register to vote or update your information is today. Here is how you can register:
Online: You can register and check your registration at indianavoters.in.gov.
In-person: Visit the county voter registration office at the Johnson County Courthouse, 5 E. Jefferson St., Franklin, or any license branch.
Text: You can also text “Indiana” to 2VOTE (28683) to register to vote.
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Early voting” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Here is a look at where and when you can cast your ballot early:
Tuesday through May 7, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
Johnson County Courthouse, 5 E. Jefferson St., Franklin
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 28 and May 5
8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. May 7
April 28 and May 5, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Trafalgar Public Library, 424 S. Tower Street, Trafalgar
Vineyard Christian Church, 512 S. Madison Ave, Greenwood
Johnson County Courthouse
Edinburgh Public Library, 119 W. Main Cross St., Edinburgh
April 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Greenwood Village South Retirement Community, 295 Village Lane, Greenwood
May 1, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Otterbein Senior Lifestyle Community (formerly Franklin United Methodist Community), 1070 W. Jefferson St., Franklin
May 2, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Indiana Masonic Home, 690 State St., Franklin
May 3 and 4, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Vineyard Christian Church
Mount Pleasant Christian Church, 381 N. Bluff Road, Greenwood
Trafalgar Public Library
Edinburgh Public Library
May 5, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Mount Pleasant Christian Church
[sc:pullout-text-end]
