(MIRROR INDY) — A week before Election Day, the line to vote at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church They snaked around metal barricades. Claudia Trefz held a flag marking the end of the line.

“I’m telling people to plan for two hours and hope they’re shorter,” said Trefz, a church volunteer. That was for the afternoon crowd; He said the line was even longer when the voting center opened.

After hearing this, three people turned around and returned to their car.

But several Marion County residents interviewed by Mirror Indy said they opted to stand in long lines during early voting rather than wait until the uncertainty of Election Day. They wanted to make sure nothing came between them and their right to vote.

Initially this year, when residents had access to a single vote center at the city and county building, early voter turnout in Marion County lagged behind the last presidential elections in 2020. But turnout is now increasing after eight additional voting centers opened on October 26. More than 30,000 voters took advantage of the additional locations in the first three days, according to data from the Marion County Board of Elections.

Nowhere is this more evident than in St Luke’s Church on the north side. It was the busiest place during the first three days of expanded early voting, according to election board data, closely followed by MSD Lawrence Community and Education Center.

That’s not surprising: Those two voting centers are located in parts of the city that saw some of the highest participations during last year’s mayoral elections.

“I’ve seen some walk away, not many,” Trefz told Mirror Indy. “Some people just don’t have a lot of time in their day, so they’re going to come back.”

Marion County expanded early voting sites after a 2017 lawsuit defendant the county election board of discriminating against African American voters. After former Democratic President Barack Obama won the state in 2008, the state legislature passed a law requiring a unanimous vote by county boards of elections before any county could establish satellite polling places. In Marion County, Republican election board members blocked those measures, according to IndyStar research.

So in 2016, Indiana’s most populous county had just one early voting site: the City-County Building.

In 2020, after the expansion of early voting, more than 130,000 Marion County residents took advantage of the new options. That marked an increase of more than 180% since 2016.

This year, if voters continue to turn out in large numbers, Marion County could match or exceed the number of residents who voted in early 2020.

Long lines and extended hours

At the Lawrence Township polling place, Gloria Garriott, 81, and her husband were told they would have to wait 90 minutes. The couple tried to vote twice on Monday, but were discouraged by the long lines.

“We’re back today and I guess we’ll just have to wait,” Garriott said. “My sister was here on Saturday and had to wait two hours.”

Doretha Buckner’s wait was just 90 minutes. He deliberately arrived 20 minutes before the polling center opened at 11 a.m. and said there was already a line.

“There’s a guy who tells you how long it is from each place, so it really wasn’t that bad,” he said.

Buckner said he likes having the option to vote early after experiencing long waits on Election Day in the past.

On Election Day, residents can vote at more than 180 locations throughout the county. But Dan Goldblatt, spokesman for the Marion County Clerk’s Office, said longer lines could still be a possibility.

“There are 642,000 registered voters in Marion County,” Goldblatt said. “If everyone leaves on election day, we are prepared to receive them. But if everyone comes out, there will be some lines.”

As for the long waits during early voting, Goldblatt said he believes people are excited about the opportunity to vote early in a presidential election. He said long waits should be expected over the weekend, when more people have the opportunity to vote.

It also encourages people to take advantage of extended hours until 10 p.m. Nov. 1-3 at the City-County building. Officials extended hours because they anticipated more people would arrive downtown for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour.

Where and when to vote early

City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St., W122

• 8 am to 6 pm October 30-31
• 8 am to 10 pm November 1
• 11 am to 10 pm November 2 and 3
• 8 am to 12 pm November 4

Other voting centers are open from 11 am to 6 pm until November 3:

• Decatur Township Government Center, 5410 S. High School Road
• Franklin Township Government Center, 6231 S. Arlington Ave.
• Global Village at International Marketplace, 4233 Lafayette Road
• MSD Lawrence Education and Community Center, 6501 Sunnyside Road
• Perry Township Government Center, 4925 Shelby St.
• St. Luke’s UMC, 100 W. 86th St.
• Thatcher Park Community Center, 4649 W. Vermont St.
• Warren Township Government Center, 501 N. Post Road

Westside waits, but “it’s not that bad”

On the west side, Anita Broadus knows about early voting.

The Avon resident already voted in Hendricks County, but felt casting her vote is so important that she has been taking her family to the polls. He took his daughter to Global Village at the International Marketplace voting center on Mondays.

On Tuesday, he stood in line with his 24-year-old grandson, Isaiah Sparks, at the Thatcher Park Community Center. Sparks is from Speedway and said he doesn’t think he voted in the last presidential election, but decided to do so this time because “my grandmother convinced me.”

They decided to vote early, fearing that the waits could be long on Election Day. Broadus said he has encountered long lines, but some have ebbed and flowed, getting much shorter after the initial rush when polls opened at 11 a.m.

Thatcher Park Manager Will Hollowell said waits have consistently lasted about three hours since the voting center opened over the weekend.

In the Global Village, some residents said they showed up at 9 a.m. expecting the polls to be open earlier than they actually were.

Others walked by asking about wait times, only to move on after seeing the lines so they could get to work on time.

Chariya Nam-Arsa, events director at Global Village, said wait times ranged from 90 minutes to two hours. He encouraged voters to bring water and a chair if they need it.

No matter the wait, Broadus said it’s worth it. She is especially concerned that young people, like her daughter and grandson, go to the polls because the elections affect their future.

“It’s not that bad,” Broadus said from the line. “You feel good after doing it. “I feel good because my grandson said ‘yes.’”

Mirror Indy reporter Darian Benson covers east Indianapolis. Contact her at 317-397-7262 or [email protected]. Follow her on X @HelloSoyDarian.

Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on @carleylanich.

Contact Mirror Indy reporter Emily Hopkins at 317-790-5268 or [email protected]. Follow them on most social networks. @indyemapolis.