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Council questions cost and number of vote centers as election budget is reviewed
Summary
Clerk staff told the council there are 22 vote centers and that trimming primary early-voting from two weeks to one could save money but requires keeping the same centers for the general election and public notice under state rules. Councilors asked for data on turnout by location and timelines for making changes ahead of the 2026 primary.
Clerk's office staff outlined the election budget and the detailed line items that drive costs for next year’s elections, telling the Vanderburgh County Council there are 22 vote centers and that each center costs roughly $2,200 per election session — about $4,500 annually when primary and general are combined. “There’s 22 vote centers,” Clerk staff member Dottie said, explaining that rent, poll workers and bipartisan staffing drive costs.
Council President Schettler and other members pressed staff on payroll increases and whether higher personnel costs were contractual step increases. “Where you see the payrolls, are those all step increases?” a councilor asked; staff confirmed most increases were contractual. Members also asked whether early voting windows could be shortened. Dottie said the state allows reduced early-voting windows in primaries but warned that primary centers generally must match general-election centers, and removing a center for the primary would require public notice and would also remove it for the general election.
The exchange highlighted a trade-off between operational savings and voter access. One councilor asked for turnout data by polling location and a clear timeline for any decision to cut centers ahead of the 2026 primary so the board could weigh outreach needs and statutory deadlines. Staff said they would research the statutory timeline and supply usage data for each center. The council did not take formal action at the hearing; members asked election staff to return with recommendations and attendance data.
