Kosciusko County Preparing For Vote Centers In May Primary
By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews
WARSAW – Kosciusko County’s top election official says she’s feeling good about the upcoming transition to vote centers in the May primary.
Election officials filed their vote center plan for Kosciusko County with the state last year.
The change means voters residing in Kosciusko County will be able to vote at any of the 21 vote centers in the county rather than being assigned where to vote.
The use of vote centers is expected to provide convenience to voters and some savings to the county on election costs because there will be fewer polling places.
The county election board met Wednesday, Jan. 26, and approved forms to certify the county’s inventory of voting machines and other equipment.
The board also set the date to test election equipment for 9:30 a.m. March 29, in the Justice Building.
A handful of large vote centers are planned for the most populated areas with some locations having as many as 14 voting machines.
For example, the North Webster vote center at North Webster Community Center will have 12 voting machines. In Warsaw, the vote center at Ivy Tech will have 12 machines, Center Lake Pavilion will have 14, First Christian Church will have 10; and in Winona Lake, Christ Covenant Church will have 12.
County Clerk Ann Torpy said she feels comfortable with the plan, in part because the 2020 election turned out to have similarities with 2022 after election officials trimmed down the number of voting places because of COVID-19.
“I feel it’s mostly getting voters informed about where the vote centers are,” Torpy said.
To review the county’s plan, click here.
Below is a list of vote centers approved for 2022.