TERRE HAUTE — Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson on Wednesday visited two vote center locations in Clay and Vigo counties, where she heard reports of a good early voter turnout and a well-received new voting system.
Clay and Vigo are two of eight new counties implementing vote centers — polling places where any eligible voter in the county may go to vote — for the 2014 primary election. Vote centers use Internet connection and an electronic poll book.
Lawson’s first stop in the afternoon visit was the Clay County Courthouse in Brazil where she met with voters, pollworkers and Clay County Clerk Victoria Wheeler.
Wheeler told Lawson there has been an increase in early voter turnout this year compared with the previous primary. She also said there were 598 early voters as of noon on Wednesday — less than a week before primary election day — compared with 580 total in the last primary election.
Lawson then traveled to the Vigo County Annex to observe early voting in Vigo. At the vote center, Lawson met Vigo County Clerk David Crockett and interacted with pollworkers and voters. Crockett explained to Lawson how the new technology in Vigo works and also reported a good early voter turnout.
In the 2010 primary, the early voter turnout was 1,894, Crockett said, but Wednesday’s numbers already show a turnout of 2,167.
“I think the great part about it is both counties have had better turnout than they did in 2010,” Lawson told the Tribune-Star toward the end of her tours. While she still believes the candidates and the issues drive the turnout, she also thinks voters are curious about the new technology and have come out to explore them.
The increase of early votes may potentially help in reducing the lines come election day, she said.
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