‘Tis the season for “I voted” stickers.
Voters now can cast ballots on weekdays at Wayne County Courthouse and avoid waiting in line on Election Day.
Voting is available from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays and 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays at 301 E. Main St., Richmond.
The only exception to those hours is a noon deadline on the final day, Monday, Nov. 4.
The courthouse also will be open on two Saturdays, Oct. 26 and Nov. 2, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. just for voting.
Four vote centers will be open around Wayne County from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28, until 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1. First Bank Kuhlman Center also will be open two Saturdays for voting (Oct. 26 and Nov. 2) from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
A total of eight vote centers will be open from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, around the county.
Find the full list of locations at co.wayne.in.us/clerk/election/voters_info.html
Absentee ballots
It can be challenging for some voters to go in person to the polls.
Qualifying voters can submit applications by 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, for an absentee ballot to be delivered by mail, or a voter with print disabilities requesting to vote by mail, email or fax.
Voters can qualify for an absentee ballot for one of 12 reasons, such as being 65 or older, having a disability, being a caregiver or lacking transportation to the polls.
Those applications may be requested by calling Wayne County’s voter registration office at 765-973-9226. They can be submitted to the clerk in person by mail, fax, email or online through indianavoters.com.
Meanwhile, those who want a traveling voter board to visit them in their place of confinement must apply by noon Monday, Nov. 4. Applications may be submitted to the clerk in person, by mail, fax, email or online through indianavoters.com.
Who’s on the ballot
Western Wayne, Fountain City and Hagerstown area voters can choose school board candidates this fall who will make financial and policy decisions for their districts.
Northeastern, Western Wayne and Nettle Creek each have a contested nonpartisan school board race.
- Northeastern: Patrick Barker and Angela “Angie” G. Smith, District B.
- Western Wayne: Jenni Risch and Todd A. Patterson, at-large District D seat.
- Nettle Creek: Candace M. Tramel and Julie Blaase, District A.
Only a few candidates will face opponents (Indiana governor and attorney general, U.S. senator, 6th District U.S. representative, and president).
Other Wayne County government and school board candidates are listed but face no opposition.
Hoosiers also can vote on one constitutional amendment and retention of three state Supreme Court justices and two Court of Appeals judges.
What do local, state candidates stand for?
Before going to the polls, voters have several ways to learn more about this fall’s candidates.
- Western Wayne News published Q & As with Wayne County’s six contested school board candidates in its Oct. 9 edition, along with an article about Indiana’s five judges who could be retained, and a constitutional amendment. Those articles can be found at WesternWayneNews.com/elections/.
- WCTV is concluding its four IN Focus candidate forums on the next two Thursdays. Western Wayne school board candidates were invited for Oct. 17 but had not confirmed participation as of press time. U.S. Representative (6th District) candidates were invited for Oct. 24. Nettle Creek and Northeastern candidates were invited for previous episodes.
IN Focus airs live at 6 p.m. on WGTV, Channel 11 (on Comcast cable in most of Wayne County). The shows will also stream live on WCTV’s Facebook page as well as on WGTV Online, WCTV’s livestreaming site, at wgtv.viebit.com.
Questions can be emailed to wctv@iu.edu until noon on the days of the forums. They also can be submitted via WCTV’s Facebook page during the live broadcast.
The program will air again on WGTV six times shortly after it airs live. Those replays are at 10:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sundays.
Audio replays can be heard at 6 a.m. Sundays on G101.3 FM and ESPN Radio 1490 AM/100.9 FM WKBV.
- Indiana Debate Commission has planned debates for Indiana’s U.S. Senate and governor candidates. Libertarian, Republican and Democratic candidates were invited. The governor debate is from 7-8 p.m. Oct. 24 and Senate debate is 7-8 p.m. Oct. 29. They will stream at indianadebatecommission.org and air on C-SPAN and various Indiana stations. The commission is a nonpartisan statewide volunteer organization and has offered debates since 2008.
A version of this article appeared in the October 16 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.