Monroe County residents have to go to a specific place to vote based on the precinct they live in. But that may soon change. Here’s how you can weigh in:
The Monroe County Vote Center Study Committee, created in 2023 by the Election Board, recommended the county convert all 29 of its polling places to vote centers, which means any residents can vote anywhere in the county.
There were three other options considered. The first would convert 22 polling places to vote centers and close seven, based on the average number of voters per center in eight other Indiana counties with vote centers. The second would convert 11 to vote centers, which is one per township. The last option would convert none of the polling places to vote centers.
The estimated cost of converting all the sites to vote centers is $601,763, according to the plan. This pays for additional ballot printers, scanners and more. Assuming expenses remain consistent, the shift to vote centers could be as small as a 5% increase in overall costs.
The committee will present the plan, which is available to review online, for public input at a hearing 5 p.m. Monday at the Monroe County Council Nat U Hill Room. It will also stream on Microsoft Teams. The next election in Monroe County will be the primaries in 2026, according to the plan.
Part of the committee’s plan also includes opening three additional early voting centers in the county. Currently, there’s just one. Their recommended locations are the Ellettsville Town Hall, the Monroe County Public Library Southwest Branch and the IU Center on Representative Government, or another location on or close to campus.
The committee held public input meetings in Bloomington, Ellettsville and Unionville, reviewed county voting data and technology needs and analyzed information from other Indiana counties before creating the plan.
According to the plan, based on interviews, emails and websites from other counties that have vote centers, they do not make a great impact in voter participation. Some committee members worried vote centers would increase costs to candidates, who would need to put signs at more locations. Another concern was that minority party candidates would be disadvantaged.
But Monroe County residents, including IU students and advocates for people with disabilities, largely said vote centers would make voting more convenient and less confusing.
