House approves bill to create vote centers

INDIANAPOLIS – More voters could cast ballots at centralized polling sites instead of traditional neighborhood precincts or submit absentee ballots by mail without giving an excuse under a bill that cleared the Indiana House of Representatives Tuesday.\nThe House voted 73-25 for Senate Bill 235, which would allow any county to opt for vote centers – scattered polling sites where people can cast ballots regardless of their precinct – if the local election board unanimously approves the change.\nAlthough the vote-center concept won support in the Republican-controlled Senate this year, GOP leaders in the chamber have opposed no-excuse absentee balloting by mail in the past. The bill could head next to a conference committee, where senators and representatives could try to hammer out a compromise on the legislation.\nUnder current Indiana law, anyone voting absentee-by-mail must meet certain provisions, such as being out of the county on Election Day or working through voting hours. Voters do not have to give an excuse if they cast an absentee ballot in person before Election Day.