INDIANAPOLIS — Starting Saturday, five more early voting sites will open in Marion County, bringing relief to the long lines seen outside the City-County Building for weeks.
It is the highest number of early voting locations the county has ever had.
As of Thursday night, Marion County election officials say about 26,000 people voted early.
“After the primary election, we realized to avoid long lines on Election Day we needed more days for early in-person voting as well as more locations,” said Russell Hollis deputy director of the Marion County Clerk’s Office.
But even with the extra days and locations, you could still end up waiting in line.
“We expected a record turnout for this election. We knew we would have record in-person voting turnout as well as record absentee voting by mail,” Hollis said.
The good news is the five new locations are spread out across the county, which will give voters more flexibility. There will also be more parking options compared to downtown.
In addition to the City-County Building, which opened for early voting Oct. 6 and will remain open until Nov. 2, the day before the election, the new sites include:
- Krannert Park Community Center - 605 S. High School Rd.
- MSD Lawrence Administration Building - 6501 Sunnyside Rd.
- Perry Township Government Center - 4925 Shelby St.
- St. Lukes United Methodist Church - 100 W. 86th St.
- Warren Township Government Center - 501 N. Post Rd.
The additional locations will remain open until Nov. 1.
These locations aren’t just for in-person voting. You can also use them as drop-off locations for absentee ballots. Election officials say you don’t have to wait in line, either. You can go to the front and drop it in the box as long as it is your own ballot.
All locations will follow the same COVID-19 guidelines. You will need to wear a face mask the whole time and bring a valid form of identification.
On Election Day, more than 180 polling sites will be open, but election officials suggest voting early to avoid potentially longer lines on Nov. 3.
Click here to learn more about the early voting locations in Marion County.