Indiana’s reputation is taking a beating this spring, and not just because of the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Indiana’s poor voter turnout in 2014 also is hurting our image. It has brought publicity such as this opening sentence in a Chicago Tribune story last week:
“When it comes to voting, Indiana’s recent record is pretty dismal — ranking dead last in the nation in voter turnout in the 2014 election.”
The new 2015 Indiana Civic Health Index calls attention to Hoosiers’ sorry showing with only 27.8 percent of registered voters casting ballots last November. That compares to a national average of 35.9 percent.
The Indiana Secretary of State shows a slightly higher statewide turnout of 30 percent last fall. Voters did better in two local counties— Steuben with 37 percent and LaGrange with 35. Noble County matched the average at 30 percent, and DeKalb lagged behind at 26 percent.
Before we heap blame on Hoosier voters, let’s concede that we might have had the nation’s most boring elections.
Indiana did not elect a governor or a U.S. senator in 2014. Several congressional races, including the local 3rd District, were guaranteed landslides. Many contests for the state Legislature saw lopsided victories. Voters can be excused for yawning at last year’s ballots.
Give Hoosier voters a reason to pay attention, such as the 2012 election, and they do better. Reports show a 58 percent turnout statewide in that presidential year, when again two counties beat the average with Steuben at 66 percent and LaGrange at 60. Slightly below the mark, DeKalb County had a 57 percent turnout that year, with Noble County at 56 percent.
Still, Indiana trailed the national average of 62 percent turnout in 2012.
State and local officials are searching for remedies.
Last year, Noble County joined several counties across the state that have adopted vote centers. Instead of voting in a home precinct, every county resident can choose the most convenient place to vote on Election Day.
Vote centers also allow early voting in high-traffic public locations. Recent changes have encouraged early voting across Indiana, but traditional counties still require a daytime trip to the courthouse to vote early.
Results from November show 16 percent of Hoosiers cast their votes early, but Noble County beat the average with 22 percent — a possible advantage of vote centers. No other local county topped the state average.
We encourage neighboring counties to take a good look at Noble County’s experience and consider following its lead in adopting vote centers.
Statewide, no one is talking about another factor that might discourage voting: Indiana shares the nation’s earliest poll-closing time of 6 p.m. Only two other states, Kentucky and Hawaii, stop voting that early.
Nineteen states keep their polls open until 7 p.m., with four states closing at 7:30 and at 8 p.m.
Indiana also ranks in a minority of states with only 12 hours for voting. A total of 29 states allow 13 hours or more.
Of the states with 12-hour voting windows, nearly all start and finish later than us.
If Hoosier leaders are looking for a cheap and easy way to increase voter participation, they should give serious thought to keeping the polls open past 6 p.m. All those states that stay open later can’t be wrong — because all of them are beating us in voter turnout.