Vote center locations will change for this year’s municipal primary and general election.
Since vote centers debuted in 2015, the Bartholomew County Election Board has tried to avoid confusing voters used to the old precinct system with changes. For example, the vote centers used last year were the same as those utilized during the 2016 presidential election, county clerk Jay Phelps said.
By keeping the same vote center locations, election officials have also been able to better analyze and confirm voter trends, he said.
However, Phelps said officials feel very comfortable with the changes planned for the city primary and fall election.
Instead of three satellite locations for early voting the week before the May 7 primary, Phelps said there will only be one: Donner Center.
Statistics indicated that other satellite locations such as Grace Lutheran Church or what is now the west-side German American Bank branch were not well-utilized during the 2015 city election, the clerk said. Instead, a majority of voters want to cast their ballots at either Donner Center or at the courthouse, Phelps said.
There will be eight vote centers open during the primary, Phelps said.
However, the number of voting machines will be reduced at those centers compared to 2015, he said.
“Based on filings so far, it looks like there may be a lot of uncontested races,” Phelps said. “So we’re expecting between 6,000 and 7,000 for the primary.
Since six candidates submitted their paperwork on Jan. 9, no other filings have occurred. Feb. 8 will be the last day for a Republican or Democrat to file a declaration of candidacy to run in the primary.
The Bartholomew County Election Board has also decided to consolidate vote center locations on the city’s southeast side.
Neither the Columbus Township Fire and Rescue building on Repp Drive nor East Columbus Methodist Church on Indiana Avenue will serve as a vote center this year, Phelps said. In addition, the Healing Waters Ministries Church on Midway Street has been removed from the vote center list.
Instead, Bible Church of Columbus at 3010 10th St. has been chosen to serve as a vote center this year, the clerk said.
“It has the space and parking we need, plus it’s right off a major thoroughfare,” Phelps said.
Although Flintwood Wesleyan Church at 5300 25th St. was not used as a vote center during the last city election, Bartholomew County election supervisor Shari Lentz said it will be included this year.
“We hadn’t realized (in 2015) how much Flintwood Wesleyan would be used by voters,” Lentz said. “That area is highly populated by voters, and it always has a great turnout.”
But most of these changes are being implemented only for the 2019 city election, Phelps said.
“Everything is going to change again during next year’s presidential election,” he said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”By the numbers” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Turnout for municipal elections in Columbus
2007
Primary voter turnout: 1,920 (6.57 percent)
General election turnout: 6,483 (21.74 percent)
2011
Primary voter turnout: 6,844 (24.23 percent)
General election turnout: 9,997 (33.12 percent)
2015
Primary voter turnout: 7,885 (25.77 percent)
General election turnout: 5,132 (16.44 percent)
Source: Bartholomew County Election Board
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These eight locations in Columbus will serve as vote centers during this year’s municipal primary and general election.
- Flintwood Wesleyan Church, 5300 25th St.
- St. Johns Masonic Lodge, 4131 Rocky Ford Road.
- Grace Lutheran Church, 3201 Central Avenue.
- Donner Center, 739 22nd St.
- Bible Church of Columbus, 3010 Tenth St.
- The Commons, 300 Washington St.
- German American Bank, 2310 W. Jonathan Moore Pike.
- Terrace Lake Church, 4260 W. County Road 200S.
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”City election deadlines” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Feb 8 – deadline for a major political party candidate to file a declaration of candidacy for the primary. Candidates have until Feb. 11 to withdrawal their names if they change their minds.
April 8 – Deadline for a voter to register or transfer registration.
April 9 – First day a voter may cast an absentee ballot for the primary. These votes will continue to be cast through noon, May 6.
May 7 – Primary
May 21 – Voter registration for the November election begins, and will continue through Oct. 7.
June 30 – Deadline for major parties to fill vacancies on the ballot, and for the Libertarian Party to nominate candidates.
July 15 – Deadline for any candidate to withdrawal from the municipal election ballot.
Oct. 8 – First day a voter may cast an absentee ballot for the general election. These votes will continue to be cast through noon, Nov. 4.
Nov. 5 – Municipal election day
— Source: Bartholomew County Election Board
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