Vote Center Proposal Dies in Hamilton County

Vote Center Proposal Dies in Hamilton County - Page 4

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind.–The Hamilton County Election Board did not get the unanimous vote it needed Thursday to move the county from traditional precinct-based voting to a countywide Vote Center model. County Clerk Kathy Kreag Williams and Democratic appointee Greg Purvis voted in favor of it, but Republican appointee Ray Adler voted against it. Indiana law says moving to a Vote Center model requires approval from all three governing bodies: the Hamilton County Commissioners, the County Council, and the Election Board. Vote centers offer flexibility and convenience to voters, by allowing them to cast a ballot at any county location of their choosing on Election Day. Using vote centers is an alternative to traditional precinct-based voting, where voters were assigned a specific voting location in their neighborhood. “It’s disappointing because I know there was a lot of bipartisan support for the measure. I wish Mr. Adler had shared some of his concerns more openly. Maybe we could have worked through it. We’ve spent a lot of time trying to make sure this worked right just to have it go nowhere,” Purvis said. While many counties moved quickly, Williams waited until she believed Hamilton County was ready. “With our growth, to over 280,000 registered voters, it was the right fit at the right time. We have been patient, worked through the process, and were at a point where it would have worked for us. It all came down to needing three votes and we were one short,” said Williams. 68 of Indiana’s 92 counties have already adopted the Vote Center model. The Allen County Election Board approved a similar proposal on Monday, September 15. “I just think we should let Allen County go through it and see what problems they have,” Adler said. “We’re changing voting for hundreds of thousands of people and I want to make sure it’s not an experiment.” Precinct-based voting will remain in place for the 2026 Primary and General Elections. Without the Vote Centers, Hamilton County will have to find polling locations for 15 new precincts for the 2026 election, bringing the total number of precincts to 235. The vote center model would have only required 57 locations.