(MIRROR INDY) — A week before Election Day, the line to vote at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church snaked around metal barricades. Claudia Trefz held a flag signaling the end of the line.
“I am telling people to plan on two hours and hope it’s shorter,” said Trefz, a volunteer from the church. That was for the afternoon crowd; she said the line was even longer when the vote center opened.
After hearing this, three people turned around and headed back to their car.
But several Marion County residents interviewed by Mirror Indy said they chose to stand in long lines during early voting rather than wait until the uncertainty of Election Day. They wanted to make sure nothing stood between them and their right to vote.
Initially this year, when residents had access to only one vote center at the City-County Building, early voter turnout in Marion County lagged behind the last presidential election in 2020 . But turnout is now surging after eight additional vote centers opened Oct. 26. More than 30,000 voters took advantage of the additional locations in the first three days, according to Marion County Election Board data.