Mike Wolanin | The Republic Election official Kristen Shipley uses scissors to cut out “I Voted Today” stickers at the vote center inside NexusPark on Election Day in Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023.
All signs indicate Bartholomew County residents will be casting early votes in the May primary at Donner Center in Columbus.
But the final decision won’t be made until the Bartholomew County Election Board meets at 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Bartholomew County Courthouse.
Originally, board members were hopeful that those casting early ballots could go to NexusPark from April 9 through May 6. But ongoing construction at the former mall site essentially removed the complex from consideration.
“It seems like the city really wants us to be at Donner Center,” election board president James Holland said. “We’re really counting on that.”
For several decades, Donner Center has been among the top three locations for voting due to its central location.
The board is running out of time to make their location decisions. They are legally obligated to sign an ordinance designating their locations and send the list to the Indiana Secretary of State’s office no later than Thursday (March 7).
“This is what it’s going to be … we hope,” Holland said in reference to the map of voter center locations released Feb. 29.
During the nearly four weeks of early voting, ballots can be cast weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Voting on Saturdays will be from 8 a.m to 3 p.m. the two Saturdays prior to the primary election. The last chance to vote early will be on Monday, May 6, from 8 a.m. until noon.
On Friday, Voter Registration and Elections spokeswoman Taylor Seegraves said the board has heard back from all locations being considered for vote centers during the May 7 primary. For several weeks, the big question has been whether NexusPark will have restored electricity for election set-up on May 6 and the actual voting on May 7.
The Columbus Parks and Recreation Department confirmed that Nexus Park would have power restored on those two days, Lentz said. However, it’s not known how much the city will charge for use of the renovated facility. A vote on the amount will be made by the board on Monday.
