At roughly the midway point through early voting, more than 14,000 Indianapolis voters have cast their ballots.
That’s nearly 7,000 fewer ballots cast by this time for the 2020 presidential election, according to Marion County Election Board data, and around the same number that were cast in 2016.
Early voting statistics can sometimes be a gauge of how motivated voters are to get to the polls, according to Laura Merrifield Wilson, associate professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis. But 2020’s higher numbers largely reflect what an extraordinary year it was.
“It's quite possible many people early voted in 2020 that will still vote but aren't going to utilize early voting options this cycle,” she said.
At that time, COVID-19 vaccines were not yet available, and people who wanted to exercise caution took advantage of early voting days to avoid crowds.
The same goes for mail-in ballots. Just more than 15,000 people have voted by mail in Marion County so far this year, a fraction of the nearly 60,000 ballots that had been returned at this point in 2020.
Another reason people might be waiting for Election Day: The ceremony, Wilson said.
“There's a special feeling in terms of civic duty, patriotism,” she said. “The day itself, for some people, is really important.”
How to vote in Indianapolis
Marion County residents looking to cast an early vote can do so at the City-County Building downtown through Nov. 4. An additional eight voting centers will open throughout the county from Oct. 26. through Nov. 3.
Read more about how to vote early in Mirror Indy’s early voting guide.
Voters have until Oct. 24 to request an absentee ballot.
Reach Mirror Indy data reporter Emily Hopkins at 317-790-5268 or emily.hopkins@mirrorindy.org. Follow them on most social media @indyemapolis.
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