(MIRROR INDY) — One week before election day, the order to vote St. Luke’s United Methodist Church It snaked around the metal barricades. Claudia Trefz was carrying a flag marking the end of the line.

“I tell people to plan for two hours and hope it’s shorter,” said Trefz, a church volunteer. This was for the afternoon crowd; He said the line was even longer when the voting center opened.

Hearing this, the three people turned around and headed back to their cars.

But some Marion County residents interviewed by Mirror Indy said they preferred to stand in long lines during early voting rather than wait out the uncertainty of Election Day. They wanted to make sure nothing stood between them and their right to vote.

Earlier this year, there was early voter turnout in Marion County, when residents had access to only one polling station at the City-County Building. It fell behind the last presidential election in 2020. However, after the opening of eight more vote centers on October 26, turnout is increasing. More than 30,000 voters used additional vote centers in the first three days, according to Marion County Board of Elections data.

This is nowhere near St. Petersburg on the north side. Nowhere is this more evident than in the church of Luke. It was the busiest location during the first three days of expanded early voting, according to election board data. MSD Lawrence Education and Community Center.

This is not surprising: These two voting centers are located in various parts of the city. some of the highest attendance in last year’s mayoral election.

“I saw some going away, not too many,” Trefz told Mirror Indy. “Some people don’t have a lot of time in the day, so they’ll come back.”

Marion County expands early voting sites 2017 case defendant The county board of elections discriminates against African American voters. After former Democratic President Barack Obama led the state in 2008, the state legislature passed a law requiring a unanimous vote from county boards of elections before any county could establish satellite polling sites. In Marion County, Republican members of the board of elections blocked those measures. According to IndyStar research.

So in 2016, Indiana’s most populous county had only one early voting site: the City-County Building.

More than 130,000 Marion County residents took advantage of new options after early voting expanded in 2020. This represented an increase of more than 180% compared to 2016.

This year, if voters continue to vote in high numbers, Marion County could meet or exceed the number of residents who voted at the beginning of 2020.

Long queues and long working hours

At the Lawrence Township polling station, 81-year-old Gloria Garriott and her husband were told they would have to wait 90 minutes. The couple tried to vote twice on Monday, but were delayed by long lines.

“We came back today and I guess we’ll have to wait,” Garriott said. “My sister was here on Saturday and had to wait two hours.”

Doretha Buckner’s wait lasted just under 90 minutes. He purposely arrived 20 minutes before the polling station opened at 11 a.m. and said there was already a queue.

“There’s a guy that tells you how far you are from each different spot, so it wasn’t that bad,” he said.

Buckner said he liked having the option to vote early after experiencing long waits on Election Day in the past.

On Election Day, citizens can vote at more than 180 locations throughout the district. But Marion County Clerk’s Office spokesman Dan Goldblatt said longer lines could still be a possibility.

“There are 642,000 registered voters in Marion County,” Goldblatt said. “If they all show up on Election Day, we are ready for them. But if it all comes out, then there will be some lines.”

As for long waits during early voting, Goldblatt said he believes people are excited for the chance to vote early in the presidential election. He said long waits should be expected over the weekend when more people have a chance to vote.

It also encourages people to take advantage of extended hours at the City-County Building until 10 p.m., Nov. 1-3. Officials extended hours in anticipation of more people coming to the city center for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour.

Where and when to vote early?

City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St., W122

• 30-31 October 08:00 – 18:00
• November 1, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• 2-3 November 11:00 – 22:00
• November 4, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Other polling stations are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. until November 3:

• Decatur County Government Center, 5410 S. High School Road
• Franklin Township Government Center, 6231 S. Arlington Ave.
• Global Village at International Marketplace, 4233 Lafayette Road
• MSD Lawrence Education and Community Center, 6501 Sunnyside Road
• Perry County Government Center, 4925 Shelby St.
• St. Luke’s UMC, 100 W. 86th St.
• Thatcher Park Community Center, 4649 W. Vermont St.
• Warren Township Government Center, 501 N. Post Road

Westside is waiting but ‘it’s not that bad’

On the west coast, Anita Broadus knows what early voting is all about.

The Avon resident had already voted in Hendricks County, but felt it was so important to vote that she took her family to the polls. He took his daughter to the hospital Global Village at the International Marketplace voting center On Monday.

On Tuesday, he waited in line with his grandson, Isaiah Sparks, 24. Thatcher Park Community Center. Speedway’s Sparks said he didn’t think he voted in the last presidential election, but decided to vote this time because “my grandma talked me into it.”

They decided to vote early because they feared waits might be long on Election Day. Broadus said he encountered long lines, but some ebbed and flowed, becoming much shorter after the initial rush when the polls opened at 11 a.m.

Thatcher Park Manager Will Hollowell said waits have been about three hours since the voting center opened over the weekend.

In Global Village, some residents said they went to the polls as early as 9 a.m. and expected the polls to open earlier than they actually did.

Others drove by asking about wait times, but after seeing the lines, they continued on their way to get to work on time.

Global Village events manager Chariya Nam-Arsa said wait times range from 90 minutes to two hours. He encouraged voters to bring water and chairs if they need them.

Whatever the wait, Broadus said it will be worth it. He is especially concerned about young people like his daughter and grandson going to the polls because the elections will affect their future.

“It’s not that bad,” Broadus said over the line. “You feel good after you do this. I feel good because my grandson said ‘yes’.”

Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact him at 317-397-7262 or [email protected]. Follow him on X @HelloImDarian.

Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on X @carlelanich.

Reach Mirror Indy reporter Emily Hopkins at 317-790-5268 or [email protected]. Follow them on most social media @indyemapolis.