Early voting began yesterday and will continue until May 2, the day before voters head to the the polls for on the official primary Election Day, Tuesday, May 3.
You will be picking Democratic and Republican candidates for offices from the township level to our federal representatives in Washington, and it’s never been easier to make your plan to vote and set aside time to do so.
We at The Republic are committed to informing our readers about the candidates running for office in key races. The aim of our news pages is to be your go-to source for fair and accurate information about the candidates and issues.
Republic reporters and journalists from our sibling publications such as the Daily Journal in Franklin have been busy communicating with candidates for office to find out and report what they would do if elected, what they view as priorities, and what qualifies them to seek office, among other questions. We’ve published profiles of candidates in key races in our daily pages, and you can also find them on our website, therepublic.com.
One of the chief goals of a free press is to help provide vital information so the public can make informed decisions. Another chief goal of a free press is to remind elected officials at every level of government that they are public servants. You’re the boss, not the other way around. That’s why we have elections, that’s why terms are limited, and that’s why voting matters.
To the credit of election officials in Bartholomew County, they have made voting easier than ever. You can vote early, by mail or on Election Day. And thanks to online resources, more information than ever about candidates and races is at your fingertips.
Right now and through May 2, registered voters will be able to cast a ballot form 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the former Carson’s department store at NexusPark, formerly FairOaks Mall in Columbus. The site also will host early voting from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on two Saturdays — April 23 and April 30. Saturday early voting also will be available those same dates and times at the Bartholomew County Government Building, 440 Third St., Columbus.
You can also vote by mail, but you need to get moving if that’s your choice. The deadline for filing an application for an absentee mail-in ballot is April 21. You can apply for a mail-in ballot at the state voter portal, indianavoters.in.gov.
On Election Day, 14 voting centers around the county will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Locations are listed on the Bartholomew County Clerk’s website at bartholomew.in.gov/clerk.html#vote-centers. Other resources on the clerk’s website include candidate lists and local candidate campaign finance reports.
The Republic Opinion page also is a public forum for your paid political letters in support of or opposition to candidates for office. You may have seen some on this page over the last few weeks. The final letters will publish on or before Sunday, May 1. In order to accommodate all paid political letters ahead of the May 3 primary, those letters must be received and the $25 fee paid by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 18. To submit a letter, go to therepublic.com/submit-letter-to-editor.
We encourage all registered voters to learn about the candidates, make informed choices and exercise your power at the ballot box.
