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    Plan to implement early voting times in Marion County, which Republicans have blocked
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    Plan to implement early voting times in Marion County, which Republicans have blocked

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    Long lines for early voting across Indianapolis this week prompted the Marion County Election Board to propose adding two additional morning hours to the townships' eight satellite early voting locations this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But the only Republican on the Marion County Election Board blocked the change at a public meeting Thursday.

    Jennifer Ping, a Republican member and vice chair of the Marion County Election Board, voted against extending the 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. time at the eight township early voting centers. Hours of operation at these locations remain Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m

    State law requires the Board of Elections to vote unanimously on changing its vote center plan. Kate Sweeney Bell, Marion County's county clerk, and Anne O'Connor, who served as alternate chairman of the Board of Elections Thursday night, voted in favor of the additional hours at county locations. Sweeney Bell also proposed selecting a satellite location on the north side and a south side to extend morning hours this weekend, which also failed due to a “no” vote from Ping.

    Sweeney Bell said the extended hours would provide more options and make it easier for voters ahead of Election Day, especially since some people might try to avoid downtown as Taylor Swift's Eras Tour wraps up its U.S. leg here this weekend. The City County Building in downtown Indianapolis will be open Friday, November 1, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday, November 2, and Sunday, November 3, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

    “I think a reasonable approach to this issue is for people to wait and wait and wait to cast their vote,” Sweeney Bell said.

    Why the Republican member voted no

    In her remarks at the meeting, Ping said she was against extending opening hours in the middle of the election and after voting had already begun. The first day of early voting in Indiana was October 8th. She also highlighted the number of early voting sites in Marion County this year, which she said is the highest the county has made available during a presidential election.

    Election 2024: Early voting is underway in Indiana. Where to vote and what not to wear or bring to the polls

    “To be fair, including to everyone who actually votes, I think it's important not to change the rules for people who are in the middle of voting in the middle of an election,” Ping said at the meeting .

    Joe Elsener, chairman of the Marion County Republican Party, also said in a statement that he believes it is “wrong” to change the early voting guidelines that Democrats and Republicans agreed to. Elsener said in 2022 he was advocating for two early voting sites per municipality, but Democrats said it would be “too many to staff.”

    “While we understand that staffing is an issue and a serious challenge, we are committed to analyzing the data after this election and working with our Democratic counterparts to determine what we need to do in future elections to continue to make voting easier and harder to make cheating,” Elsener said.

    Mike Schmuhl, chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, condemned the move in a statement, saying Republicans in Indiana have “become experts at disenfranchising voters.”

    “This is something voters want – they don’t want to wait in line or can’t afford it, even in the best weather,” Schmuhl said.

    Where can you vote early in Marion County this weekend?

    There are nine early voting locations available in Marion County this weekend. You can check wait times for each polling place on this Marion County Election Board website.

    • Indianapolis City-County Buildings
    • Decatur Parish Government Center
    • Franklin Township Government Center
    • International Marketplace Coalition
    • MSD Lawrence Education and Community Center
    • Perry Township Government Center
    • St. Luke's United Methodist Church
    • Thatcher Park Community Center
    • Warren Township Government Center

    Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at [email protected] or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X@CarloniBrittany.

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