The Monroe County Election board rejected vote centers across the county in a 2-1 decision Monday. The initiative needed a unanimous agreement to pass. The dissenting vote came from Danny Shields, the lone Republican on the board.
A vote center allows voters to cast ballots at any location in their county, unlike precinct-based voting, where voters are assigned a voting location in their neighborhood.
Monroe County is in the minority, as 65 out of 92 Indiana counties utilize vote centers instead of precinct voting.
A 59-page study was unanimously approved in February by the Vote Center Study Committee, recommending the county convert the existing 29 voting precincts into vote centers.
The County Commissioners denounced the results, claiming the decision contradicts widespread public support that would have made voting more accessible in the county.
They previously passed Resolution 2023-19 in June of 2023, which approved the use of vote centers, subject to the decision of the election board.
Board of Commissioners President Julie Thomas said in a statement she was disappointed with the board decision.
“Allowing voters to vote anywhere they choose makes the process easier, eliminates complications, and would permit great turnout,” she said.
Commissioner Jody Madeira also added a statement, saying implementing vote centers would have a real-world impact.
“During the 2024 election, around 280 provisional ballots cast by voters at the Indiana Memorial Union were rejected simply because the voter was at the wrong location within Monroe County,” she said.
