Gibson County moves to consolidate Owensville and Fort Branch polling locations ahead of possible vote-center changes

Gibson County election officials asked the Board of Commissioners to approve consolidating separate polling locations in Owensville and Fort Branch during the Oct. 7 meeting.

A county election official told commissioners the county currently operates two polling sites within a few blocks in Owensville and requested moving all Owensville voters to the Owensville Community Center to increase available voting machines and reduce line length. "We respectfully request that you eliminate voting at the town hall and the Montgomery Township fire station, and instead relocate all voters to the Owensville Community Center," the official said. The election board had already reviewed and approved the proposal.

Commissioners approved a resolution to consolidate Owensville polling locations. The official said the change will be monitored after the primary and adjusted as needed for the general election.

A similar consolidation was proposed and approved in Fort Branch: election staff asked to eliminate voting at the Union Township Fire Station and move voters to the Fort Branch Community Center. The official said the community center has added parking and offers better space and ADA compliance than the existing sites.

The election official told commissioners the secretary of state held public meetings statewide about the year of municipal races and a move to vote centers; 67 of Indiana's 92 counties are already designated vote centers. "We are trying to geographically prepare for that legislation now and implement all of these moves in time for the 2026 primary," the official said. The county plans to continue notifying voters, adjust equipment and staffing after the primary, and return with details at the Oct. 21 meeting as needed.

No citizen speaker opposed the consolidations during the meeting.