Early voters will cast in-person ballots for November’s election at two sites approved Tuesday by the Montgomery County Election Board.
The board passed a resolution designating the 4-H Building, 400 Parke Ave., and Rock Point Church, 429 W. C.R. 150S, as early polling sites. In-person early voting is set to begin Oct. 6.
Polls at the 4-H Building will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday until Oct. 30 and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the two Saturdays before Election Day. Early ballots can also be cast from 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 2, the day prior to the election.
Early voting at Rock Point will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 24 and Oct. 31 and from 2 to 7 p.m. Oct. 26-30.
On Election Day, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the 4-H Building, Rock Point, North Montgomery High School and Whitesville Christian Church.
Hundreds of voters looking to avoid crowds at the polls due to COVID-19 concerns have already requested absentee ballots. The county has received about 700 applications, clerk Karyn Douglas said.
Elections officials are encouraging Hoosiers to vote absentee by mail due to the pandemic. Douglas said she expects up to 4,000 Montgomery County voters to mail in their ballots this fall, an increase from more than 3,300 in June’s primary.
The office typically handles 300-400 absentee ballots in an election, Douglas said.
Applications are available on the clerk’s office website at www.montgomerycounty.in.gov. Requests must be received by Oct. 22.
On the form, voters must declare a reason for requesting a ballot after the Indiana Election Commission declined to allow no-excuse absentee voting this fall.
The clerk’s office will begin sending out ballots Sept. 18 to voters who request one.
“I think one of the things we need to encourage people [to do] is, [if] you know who you’re going to vote for, get it done,” said Virginia Servies, the election board’s Democratic member.
The clerk’s office has fielded calls from voters confused about the mail-in ballot process. Ballots are not automatically being mailed to every registered voter.
“It would be a total mess,” Republican election board member Daryl Livesay said.
The registration deadline for new voters or voters whose addresses have changed is Oct. 5. Voters can register online at www.indianavoters.in.gov.
Another election matter remains unsettled. Indiana’s election commission has yet to rule on how nursing home residents who do not vote absentee by mail will participate in the election.
For the primary, the state allowed staff at long-term care facilities to assist residents with their ballots. Otherwise, the county’s traveling board will have to go into the facilities, raising health concerns.
Douglas also expressed support for absentee ballot drop boxes. Advocates say the boxes are a secure method to bypass the post office to ensure ballots are returned in time. Critics claim the boxes increase the risk of voter fraud.
Douglas said the box, which would be placed at the courthouse entrance, would be within sight of security officers.
“I feel very comfortable having the dropbox here. There’s other counties that don’t,” Douglas said.
Pulaski County in northern Indiana is among the counties not offering the boxes this year, citing security concerns.
