Porter County is officially moving to vote centers. The change cleared its final hurdles Tuesday, with the approval of the county council and commissioners.
Vote center counties typically have fewer voting locations but allow residents to cast their ballot at any one of them. Up until now, voters were limited to one specific precinct polling place, unless they voted early.
Clerk Jessica Bailey says the county will go from 61 polling places to 44 vote centers. "Some of them have changed from what they typically would be to more accessible locations, all of them larger, better parking, ADA accessible and so on," Bailey told the county council Tuesday.
In Porter County, election officials stress that their goal isn't to cut costs by closing polling places but to increase turnout by making voting more convenient. The complete Porter County Vote Center Plan, along with a list of locations, can be found on the county's website.
