(MIRROR INDY) — A week before Election Day, the line to vote at St. Luke United Methodist Church snaked around the metal barricades. Claudia Trefz held a flag signaling the end of the line.

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

After hearing this, three people turned around and returned to their car.

But several Marion County residents interviewed by Mirror Indy said they chose to wait in line during early voting rather than wait out the uncertainty of Election Day. They wanted to ensure that nothing stood in the way of their right to vote.

Initially this year, when residents only had access to one voting center in the City-County building, early voter turnout in Marion County trailing the last presidential election of 2020. But turnout is now increasing after eight additional voting centers opened on October 26. More than 30,000 voters took advantage of these additional locations in the first three days, according to data from the Marion County Board of Elections.

Nowhere is this more evident than in St. Luke’s Church on the north side. According to election board data, it was the busiest location during the first three days of expanded early voting, followed closely by MSD Lawrence Education and Community Center.

This is not surprising: these two voting centers are located in areas of the city that saw some of the highest participation rates in last year’s mayoral election.

“I’ve seen some move away, not too many,” Trefz told Mirror Indy. “Some people just don’t have a lot of time in their day, so they’ll come back.”

Marion County expanded early voting sites after a 2017 trial accused the county election board to discriminate against African-American voters. After former Democratic President Barack Obama won the state in 2008, the state legislature passed a law requiring a unanimous vote of county election boards before a county could establish satellite polling locations. In Marion County, Republican members of the election board blocked these measures, according to an IndyStar survey.

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

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

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

Long queues and extended hours

At the Lawrence Township voting center, Gloria Garriott, 81, and her husband were told they would have to wait 90 minutes. The couple attempted to vote twice on Monday, but were put off by the long lines.

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

Doretha Buckner’s wait lasted just under 90 minutes. She voluntarily arrived 20 minutes before the voting center opened at 11 a.m. and said there was already a queue.

“There’s a guy who tells you how long it takes for each different place, so it really wasn’t that big of a deal,” she said.

Buckner said she liked having the opportunity to vote early after experiencing long Election Day waits in the past.

On Election Day, residents can vote at more than 180 locations across the county. But Dan Goldblatt, a spokesman for the Marion County Clerk’s Office, 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 to welcome them. But if they all come out, then there will be a few lines. »

As for the long waits during early voting, Goldblatt said he thinks people are excited about being able to vote early in a presidential election. He added to expect long waits over the weekend, when more people will have the opportunity to vote.

He also encourages people to take advantage of extended opening hours until 10 p.m. from November 1 to 3 at the City-County Building. Officials have extended hours in anticipation of more people coming downtown for Taylor Swift’s The Eras tour.

Where and when to vote early

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

• 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. October 30 and 31
• 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. November 1
• 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. November 2 and 3
• 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. November 4

Other voting centers are open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. until November 3:

• Decatur Township Government Center, 5410 S. High School Road
• Franklin Township Government Center, 6231 S. Arlington Ave.
• Global Village at International Market, 4233 Lafayette Road
• MSD Lawrence Education and Community Center, 6501 Sunnyside Road
• Perry Township Government Center, 4925 Shelby Street.
• 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 waits, but “not so bad”

On the west side, Anita Broadus knows about early voting.

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

On Tuesday, she stood in line with her 24-year-old grandson, Isaiah Sparks, at the Thatcher Park Community Center. Sparks is from Speedway and said he doesn’t think he voted in the last presidential election, but decided to this time because “my grandmother convinced me to.”

They decided to vote early, fearing that the wait would be long on election day. Broadus said she encountered long lines, but some ebbed and flowed, becoming much shorter after the initial rush when polls opened at 11 a.m.

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

At Global Village, some residents said they showed up as early as 9 a.m., expecting polls to be open earlier than they actually were.

Others drove around asking about wait times, only to drive away after seeing the lines so they could get to work on time.

Chariya Nam-Arsa, Global Village events manager, said wait times ranged from 90 minutes to two hours. She encouraged voters to bring water and a chair if they need one.

No matter the wait, Broadus said it’s worth it. She is particularly concerned that young people, like her daughter and grandson, are going to the polls because the elections affect their future.

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

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

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

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