Low turnout for early voting in primary election

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Jackson County registered voters have been able to vote early since April 5, but turnout numbers indicate that not many people are making it out to the polls.

The primary election isn’t until May 3, but as of Tuesday, a total of 483 Jackson County voters have cast their ballot. Of that total, 83 have voted by mail.

Voter Registration Clerk Andrea Edwards said the turnout for early voting has been notably down compared to past years.

In 2018, 1,387 early ballots were cast in the primary election. Mailed-in votes accounted for 137 of that number.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, early voting turnout was high with 2,367 voters casting their ballot before the 2020 primary election.

New early voting sites were introduced this year because the primary election is the first in the county’s history to use vote centers.

A vote center is a polling place where Jackson County voters are allowed to go to cast their ballot, regardless of their voting precinct.

Before this year, early voting was conducted at the Jackson County Clerk’s Office in Brownstown and the former Jackson Superior Court I building in Seymour.

There are three early voting sites in Jackson County with one in Brownstown and the rest in Seymour.

The Seymour early voting sites are located at the Jackson County Learning Center, 323 Dupont Drive, and Fraternal Order of Police Donald M. Winn Lodge 108, 1752 First Ave.

The enclosed shelter house at Brownstown Park, 715 W. Bridge St., serves as the town’s sole early voting site.

On Election Day, there will be seven vote centers to vote at in Jackson County.

They are Calvary Baptist Church, the Jackson County Learning Center and Fraternal Order of Police, all in Seymour; the enclosed shelter house at Brownstown Park; Medora Christian Church; Freetown Community Center; and First Baptist Church of Crothersville.

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