What’s blocking election vote centers in Delaware County? The political divide

MUNCIE— After near-record voter turnout in the 2020 elections, Delaware County officials are warily looking ahead to the 2022 election, which could see brisk voting even for a non-presidential election.

One thing officials will not agree to do, however: Implement vote centers to expand the locations and days that people can cast their ballots.

Local Democrats and Republicans are at an impasse on the idea of vote centers, which would move ballot-casting away from dozens of neighborhood-level precinct polling places and to major – but fewer in number – centralized locations such as the Delaware County Fairgrounds.

Vote centers are seen by many as a way of increasing turnout and calming lines at polling places on Election Day by opening up more early voting opportunities. Locally, the only site currently authorized for early in-person voting is the election office at the Delaware County Building.

The Indiana Legislature approved vote centers in 2011 and some Indiana counties have had vote centers – for early voting and for Election Day voting by any county resident at any vote center, regardless of where they live – for a few years now.