The Monroe County Election Board has approved a study committee to create a plan for vote centers — or polling places that allow voters to cast a ballot at a location of their choosing — in Monroe County.
Board members approved the committee by a 2-0 vote Thursday — a required step for the adoption of the vote-center model. The board consists of three members, but one left minutes before the vote was taken.
Thursday’s vote also adopted a document laying out its membership qualifications and other requirements. The committee will consist of the following members, according to the document:
- Three members appointed by the Monroe County Democratic Party chair, with one member being an enrolled student at a university or college in Monroe County.
- Three members appointed by the Monroe County Republican Party chair, with one member being an enrolled student at a university or college in Monroe County.
- Three independent registered voters appointed by the Monroe County Clerk.
- A representative of the League of Women Voters.
- An individual representing those with functional or access needs.
Monroe County Democratic Party Chair David Henry, who sits on the board, said he wants the committee to complete its work quickly.
“My view is that since the composition of the body is not us, and it’s other people, that can work in parallel with the administration of the election of ‘23 and beginning in ’24,” Henry said. “Ideally, if it is a compressed time scheduled, there could be a plan presented that could be taken into effect in the 2024 cycle, depending on how complicated this is.”
Other members expressed concerns about rushing the process, saying it could take time to receive and consider public input.
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Initially, the board sought to require that the committee complete its work within 150 days; but on Thursday, members opted to extend its deadline indefinitely.
Creating a study committee is the second of seven required steps to implementing vote centers. Additional steps include the following, according to the Indiana Secretary of State:
- The county must draft a vote center plan, which county council members and commissioners must approve.
- The county must seek public comment for at least 30 days.
- The Election Board must unanimously approve the vote center plan.
- The county must file its plan with the Indiana Election Division.
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The board has considered implementing vote centers for more than a decade. The idea came up again last month when members voted to establish the study committee.
Vote centers serve as an alternative to traditional precinct-based voting, in which voters are assigned a specific voting location based on their home address. Monroe County currently has precinct-based polling locations.
A study by the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute found vote centers can produce significant savings for counties that implement them, give local election officials more flexibility, produce immediate and long-term savings and significantly reduce the number of voting machines needed.
Sixty of Indiana’s 92 counties have adopted the vote center model, according to the Secretary of State.
