HB 1106 contains a provision that would extend the status of Tippecanoe, Wayne, and Cass counties as “vote center pilot counties.” Under the original legislation passed a few years ago, the pilot status is set to expire. From my personal perspective, vote centers have been a great thing, and I think they have been well regarded in general. They allow you to vote anywhere in the county, regardless of your precinct. You get a precinct-specific ballot.
The Palladium-Item has an article on the snags for passage of the legislation.
State Sen. Ron Alting, R-Lafayette, said in a press release an amendment on no-fault, absentee voting is threatening to derail the bill continuing the vote centers. The amendment would allow voters anywhere to cast early ballots by mail, even if they don’t meet existing criteria for voting absentee.
. . .
“Hoosier voters and the local units of government operating in the three pilot program counties shouldn’t be punished because agreements can’t be made about absentee balloting,” Alting said. “The issue of absentee balloting should not hold this bill hostage, but rather absentee voting provisions should stand on their own in a separate bill.”A study by the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute showed the centers save significant costs.
I hope they can work this out.
Earlier this week I wrote to Senator Alting in praise of vote centers, and he replied…
“I’m doing my best to have the added language for mail absentee voting to be withdrawn so the bill would just deal with the allowance of our two other counties centers to continue to exist.”
I appreciate his efforts. And I hope they can work it out too. If they can’t work this (extending a successful pilot program) out… sheesh….