Warrick County election board narrows early-voting plan, flags accessibility and machine-timing questions

Warrick County’s three-member election board on Thursday the 13th discussed a consolidated early-voting plan for 2026, tentatively agreeing to four early-voting centers while leaving several key logistical decisions — including the Booneville site, hours and machine timelines — open for follow-up.

Board members said they want a single, updated list after the prior plan contained two competing lists. The four sites under consideration are Lynnville, the Ohio Township trustee office, Freeman Park and a Booneville location. One board member said Booneville must run the full 28 days required by law, and identified April 7 as the calendar start date if the election is held on May 5. "It has to be open on Saturdays," a board member said. "It has to run that 28 days."

Why it matters: early-voting windows and location choices affect where voters can cast ballots before election day, how staffing and overtime costs are allocated, and how accessible vote centers are for people with disabilities and those who rely on public or assisted transport.

Board members debated whether to stagger early-voting windows so some sites open a week earlier (proposed April 25–May 4) while Booneville would remain open the full 28 days. Using turnout data from the 2024 general election, members estimated reduced turnout in the 2026 primary and ran per-day load calculations to test capacity; one member concluded an eight-day early window at some centers would likely be sufficient for the primary, with Booneville covering the full 28-day period.

The Booneville judicial center drew sustained concern over handicap access and mandatory security screening that can slow voters. A board member urged moving the Booneville site out of the Judicial Center to avoid bottlenecks and security conflicts, noting the sheriff’s office is reviewing a list of concerns. The board was told that Abby Redmond, the school corporation superintendent, signaled the school corporation’s Central Services building could host the Booneville site; a board member described Central Services as "flat, handicap accessible" and easier to route voters through without courthouse security constraints.

Members stressed the need for clear signage so voters are not directed through security only to discover they must go elsewhere. One member said inadequate signs "would not be taken well" by voters.

On equipment and compliance, the board discussed state paperwork for disposing of old voting systems (an IEC-6 plan) and an IEC-22 inventory certification; members said MicroVote will manage removal paperwork when machines are retired and that new machines are expected but the old systems will not be discarded until replacements arrive. The board also reviewed the requirement that every in-person early-voting location have at least one voting system that allows voters with disabilities to vote privately and independently and asked staff to confirm compliance at the proposed sites.

Several operational items remained unresolved: firm confirmation from Freeman Park on the proposed dates, a final Booneville site decision pending sheriff review, explicit timelines for new machines, a training schedule, staffing and whether vendors can provide technical support if early voting starts on a Saturday. A board member noted that neighboring counties use MicroVote successfully with Saturday openings, but said the board needs to be certain vendor support will be available before committing to weekend starts.

Because early voting starts in fewer than five months, board members disagreed on timing for the next meeting. One member insisted on meeting before January and said he would schedule a December 1 meeting unless the board reached agreement by Thanksgiving. "We are behind. We need to get moving," a member said, urging an earlier special meeting to finalize locations, hours, advertising and staffing.

No formal vote on site locations or the early-voting calendar was taken at the meeting. The board agreed to post approved minutes on the county website once IT support is available and asked staff to bring a concrete timeline for new machines, coding and training to the next meeting.

The meeting ended after a motion to adjourn was moved and seconded.

What’s next: the board expects to reconvene to finalize the early-voting locations, confirm Freeman Park availability and receive a sheriff-reviewed site assessment for Booneville, plus a vendor timeline for new machines and a training plan.