INDIANAPOLIS — The countdown to Election Day is on, and in Marion County, voters are getting a head start, casting their ballots before Tuesday’s election.
With just days to go, voters are taking advantage of early voting locations throughout Marion County. Some are looking to avoid the election-day crowds, while others say participating in the election is a priority.
“Civic duty is very, very important to vote, and I’m pretty passionate about being able to, so I like to educate myself, come out and exercise my right,” Kathryn Dinardo said.
“Come be heard. Vote, because its a difference between complaining about it and actually doing something about it. Now that you’ve addressed the issue, what are you going to do,” first-time voter Allah Logician said.
The Marion County Clerk is tracking turnout, including how this year’s numbers compare to the last midterm election in 2022.
“At this point in time, they are, I think we were around 42,500 in 2022, here, we’re almost at 80,000, so very, very different,” Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell said.
Also on Election Day, up to a dozen federal election monitors are expected in Marion County. They’ll be dressed in business casual clothes, carry identification, and remain at least 50 feet from polling place entrances.
The monitors may approach voters after they’ve cast their ballots, but the county clerk emhpasizes that speaking with them is completely optional.
“Adherence to the Americans with Disabilities Act, whether or not a voter has cast a provisional ballot and the circumstances under which they are cast, but nothing like we’ve seen in headlines around the country with citizenship, that did not even come up,” Sweeney Bell said.
For those planning to vote Tuesday, polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.
“Any voter who needs assistance, if they have mobility issues, at any of our vote centers, they can go to the front of the line. Any voter who needs assistance, they can raise their hand, and help is just a few feet away,” Sweeney Bell said.
SEE ALSO: Marion County Clerk shares details on federal election monitoring as Republicans reinforce support
