Tuesday is Election Day, and polls will be open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 18 vote centers in Bartholomew County.
Don’t be fooled by some of the false information on social media and elsewhere about how and when you can vote. If you want your vote to count, here’s what you need to know now.
• You cannot vote by text or email. We repeat: You cannot cast a ballot by texting or sending an email. Don’t fall for it. To vote in Bartholomew County, you have to go to one of the vote centers listed below.
• If you want to vote, you will need to be a registered voter and vote today — by 6 p.m. Claims that you can vote at any other time or day are completely false. Think you can vote on Nov. 9? Plain and simple, you are wrong.
• Voting machines are not connected to the Internet.
So, Bartholomew County registered voters, you can cast your ballots from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, at any of the following 18 vote centers:
1. Flintwood Wesleyan Church, 5300 25th St., Columbus
2. St. John’s Masonic Lodge, 4131 Rocky Ford Road, Columbus
3. Grace Lutheran Church, 3201 Central Ave., Columbus
4. Healing Waters Church, 2330 Midway St., Columbus
5. Donner Center, 739 22nd St., Columbus
6. East Columbus Fire Station, 935 Repp Drive, Columbus
7. The Commons, 300 Washington St., Columbus
8. MainSource Bank, 2310 W. Jonathan Moore Pike
9. Terrace Lake Church, 4260 W. County Road 200S, Columbus
10. Faith Lutheran Church, 6000 W. State Road 46, Columbus
11. REMC building, 1697 W. Deaver Road, Columbus
12. Elizabethtown Fire Station, 10203 E. Legal Tender Road, Elizabethtown
13. Shiloh Baptist Church, 11988 E. State Road 46, Columbus
14. Hope Moravian Church, 202 Main St., Hope
15. Clifford Fire Station, 7850 N. Depot St., Clifford
16. German Township Fire Station, 9428 Main St., Taylorsville
17. Southwest Fire Station, 8500 S. State Road 58, Columbus
18. White Creek Lutheran Church, 16270 S. County Road 300W, Columbus
Click here to see a map of where the voting centers are located.
Who is on the ballot?
All eyes will be on the presidential race, but there are plenty of other contests. Go online at indianavoters.com and click on “Who’s on your Ballot,” to find out who is running.
And a few more reminders:
Bring to the polls: An Indiana driver’s license, Indiana photo ID card, United States passport, military ID or a state university-issued photo ID can be accepted to vote. An out-of-state driver’s license cannot be accepted. The local Bureau of Motor Vehicles branch, 745 Schnier Drive, will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today for people who need a driver’s license or state ID card.
Turn off cellphones and no political wearables. When you arrive at one of the county’s 18 vote centers, the first posted sign you can expect to see is a reminder to turn off cellphones. Signs will remind voters that they cannot wear clothing, buttons or hats that have political messages.
Signature required. Your signature will be required twice – both on an electronic pad and on paper – before you are handed papers that will allow you to get in line to vote. If there are people waiting to vote, make sure to sign in with the election inspectors before joining the line. Once you sign in, you cannot switch to another vote center if there is a long line. A map will be available at each vote center to show where other vote centers are located.
Time limit. According to state law, a voter is limited to only two minutes to vote on a voting machine. Each voter should review his or her ballot ahead of time to reduce confusion and any questions. A voter can go online at indianavoters.com and click on “Who’s on your Ballot,” to review their ballot. The wait to vote should amount to roughly one minute for each person who is ahead of you, poll workers at Donner Center estimated.
In line at 6 p.m.? Voters who are in line at 6 p.m. at a voting center when the polls close will be allowed to vote.
Get a ride to the polls
Here are numbers to call for rides to Bartholomew County voting centers on Election Day.
Republican: 812-350-5124
Democrat: 812-418-8594
Join the party
The Bartholomew County Republican Party will hold its election night watch party 6 p.m. today at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, 2480 W. Jonathan Moore Pike, Columbus.
The Bartholomew County Democratic Party will hold its election night watch party at Hotel Indigo, 400 Brown St., Columbus.
Get results; share your story.
Follow Election Day developments in Bartholomew County online at therepublic.com, then check back after the polls close at 6 p.m. Tuesday and throughout the evening for voting updates as they come in.
Share your election day stories with The Republic by email at [email protected]
