Hamilton County vote center proposal fails as Indiana Secretary of State studies potential expansion

INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana lawmakers are considering whether to require all 92 counties to use vote centers.




A bill signed into law this year directed the Indiana Secretary of State's Office to study the issue and submit recommendations to the General Assembly before the beginning of the 2026 legislative session.




Roughly two-thirds of Indiana's 92 counties have switched from precinct-based voting to a vote-center model-a switch those in favor of vote centers say saves taxpayers' money and time.




"The big difference is that a voter is not tied to just one voting location," said Julia Vaughn, Executive Director of Common Cause Indiana.




"So, if you get off work, and you have half an hour before the polls close, you can get to the closest vote center instead of having to go home and get to your precinct location," said Linda Hanson, President of the League of Women Voters of Indiana.




Marion County switched to a vote center model eight years ago-giving Hoosiers who live there almost 200 different secure polling locations to choose from.




"It helps us get results back faster at the end of the night," Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell said.




"If you vote at one vote center, you can't go somewhere else and vote because it already knows that you've voted," Hanson said.




This comes as a motion to switch to a vote center model failed in Hamilton County this week by one vote. State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers) and State Sen. J.D. Ford (D-Carmel) issued a joint statement in part following the failed vote:




"...By allowing people to vote at any voting center in the county, Hamilton County would have reduced the number of needed polling centers from 235 to 57, reducing spending by thousands of dollars each election. Hamilton County is on the cutting edge of so many governmental reforms and programs, and we take pride in that fact. That's why it's disappointing to us that our community won't benefit from this model that makes it easier for working families to make their voices heard during the 2026 elections. We remain focused on finding ways to ensure secure, safe and free elections while also finding paths to increase turnout and accessibility." 




Hamilton County GOP Chairman Mario Massillamany said while vote centers are cost-effective, Hoosiers who are elderly or live in rural areas may not have the transportation to get to them.




"Unfortunately, Hamilton County doesn't have a good public transportation system, and as such, people would have to take an Uber to get to these vote centers," Massillamany said. "They can't just walk there like they normally could to like the school or the fire station right now, that's currently in place."




Vote center proponents said they're concerned Sec. Morales' office will recommend a mandate that all 92 counties use vote centers. If that happens, lawmakers would still need to pass a bill requiring all counties to do so.




"We think counties should be able to make the decision," Vaughn said.




"If they try to tell these counties what to do with their elections beyond what is already statutorily required, I think they're in for a rude awakening,"  Clerk Sweeney Bell said.




The Indiana Secretary of State's Office is expected to give lawmakers final recommendations in November.





via: https://fox59.com/news/politics/hamilton-county-vote-center-proposal-fails-as-indiana-secretary-of-state-studies-potential-expansion-of-vote-centers-statewide/