A small, but steady stream of voters headed to Donner Center Tuesday — the first day local residents could cast their votes in person for the June 2 presidential primary.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the only early voting center open this week is Donner Center. The facility at 739 22nd St. will continue accepting in-person early voters from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from now through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, June 1.
Election officials and voters were exercising caution while inside the voting center. Of the 15 people who were in the polling area at 1:30 p.m., only two were not wearing some form of facial covering.
About 90% of all residents casting ballots were wearing a mask or other form of personal protective equipment, as well as all staff and poll workers, GOP election clerk Teresa Shoaf said.
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From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, 242 residents had cast ballots, compared to about 400 who showed up at Donner Center during the first day of early voting during the last county-wide election, deputy elections supervisor Taylor Seagraves said.
But that turnout is far from impressive, since at least several more early voting centers have been open during past elections.
“This is very, very slow considering how many people we’ve had on the first day of voting in the past,” Shoaf said. “And with so many who have voted by mail absentee, I do not believe we will have a long line this week.”
Nearly 9,000 Bartholomew County voters have requested mail-in ballots as of late last week.
As part of safety precautions, many voters took advantage of hand sanitizer available while walking out of the voting area, Democratic election official Glenda Ellison said.
Duty was a common response from many when they were asked why they showed up at Donner Center Tuesday.
“I just think it’s my honor to vote, and I won’t let anything stop me from doing my duty,” said voter and Rockcreek Township resident Wendy Brougher.
Although it’s not a factor in the primary, the presidential election will be the race that will be on everyone’s mind this year, Brougher said.
One of those casting an early ballot was June Corbin, who served as Bartholomew County treasurer from 1987 to 1990.
While Corbin says she believes the four-person GOP primary race for Bartholomew Superior Court 2 judge is interesting to many local residents, the primary is not a top priority for most people this year.
“Everything has been low-key this (primary season),” Corbin said. “I think the virus has really played a role in that. But I hope people realize it’s very important to get out and vote.”
Tom Mote said voting in person is largely a matter of tradition for him. “I’ve voted in every primary for the past 50 years,” he said.
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Early voting is underway this week at Donner Center, 739 22nd St. In-person voting is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day from now through Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, June 1. The primary will be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2.
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