By Sheryl Swingley—
MUNCIE, IN—The public is invited to attend the League of Women Voters of Muncie-Delaware County’s meeting about vote centers for Delaware County at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, in the auditorium of Muncie Central High School.
The current precinct polling system Delaware County uses requires citizens to vote at a specific location on Election Day. Vote centers allow voters to cast a ballot at any county location of their choice on Election Day.
Early voting, which is 28 days before any primary or fall elections, would still take place at the Delaware County Building on Main Street. Early voting on the two Saturdays before an election would still take place at the county building, as well as one other location in the county, if vote centers are adopted in Delaware County.
The conduct of elections in Indiana is up to each county with guidelines from the state. Of Indiana’s 92 counties, 67 of them have vote centers. Wayne and Tippecanoe counties started using vote centers in 2006.
“Because voting centers make it more convenient for citizens to vote, the League has for some time supported the implementation of vote centers in Delaware County,” said Linda Hanson, president of the Indiana League of Women Voters and spokesperson for the Muncie-Delaware County League. “At the upcoming public meeting, we want to inform the public of vote centers and to let citizens hear from those who will decide if Delaware County has vote centers, especially in time for the 2026 midterm elections.”
Those invited to participate in the public meeting are as follows:
–Chad Kinsella, executive director of the Voting System Technical Oversight Program;
–Rick Spangler, Delaware County clerk, who is responsible for voter registration and elections in Delaware County;
–Tim Overton, chairman of the Delaware County Republican Party; and
–Andrew Dale, chairman of the Delaware County Democratic Party.
Kinsella, the speaker for the public meeting, will present an overview of voting centers. He joined the Department of Political Science at Ball State University in 2016. He has been with VSTOP since 2020. Kinsella also served as managing director of the Bowen Center at Ball State from 2021-2024, where he conducted the annual Hoosier Survey and directed the Indiana Certified Public Manager Program.
Attendees at the meeting will have opportunities to ask questions after participants speak.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, grassroots, public policy and educational organization. It encourages informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy. It does not support or oppose any political party or candidate.
The League of Women Voters Education Fund and local Leagues work to register and inform voters through the election resources of VOTE411.org and candidate forums.
People of all different governing beliefs are eligible to join local chapters of the League of Women Voters. No invitation is needed. To join the Muncie-Delaware County League, go to this site.
