Steady turnout marks start to early voting in Lake County
Joan and Tommy Brewer of Crown Point waited patiently inside the Lake County Government Center in Crown Point to cast their ballots as early voting for the May primary got underway.
The couple arrived at 8 a.m. to ensure they could carry on their tradition of being among the first to cast their ballots when voting began at 8:30 a.m.
Voting in every election and getting out early sends a message, they said.
“You can’t just complain. I believe in doing something about it,” Joan Brewer said, adding as Christians they vote early to be good leaders within their community.
“We want to lead all the warriors who are called to serve. It’s our civic duty,” she said.
The couple said it’s important to see a choice of candidates to bring fresh ideas forward and to keep existing politicians on their toes.
“No challenge, no change,” Tommy Brewer said. “It’s simple.”
If you do not vote, you do not have a voice, Joan Brewer added.
“When people pay attention to what happening, they are more likely to participate,” she said.
Michelle Fajman, director of the Lake County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, said by early afternoon 19 people voted in Hobart, 3 in Lowell, 14 in Hammond, six in Winfield, 16 in St. John Township, 19 at Wicker Park, five at East Chicago, 16 in Gary, 10 in Schererville and 93 at the government center in Crown Point.
Currently, there are 362,853 registered voters in Lake County. She expects the number to increase slightly as mail-in registrations received in the next week are added to the tally.
She expects the first-day turnout to track with the county elections in 2022. She said it is difficult to compare early turnout with 2020 because of the pandemic. Fajman said in 2020 early voting was only open for one week.
“For the 2022 primary, the first day we had 306 people,” Fajman said, adding that with a couple hours left before the first day closed, “I think we will bypass that first-day number.”
Early voting kicked off Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in sites across Lake County. Voters living in Lake County can use any early voting location to cast a ballot for the May primary regardless of the town or precinct in which they live.
Lake County has 11 early voting centers, though hours vary depending on the location.
At the Lake County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, the hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the two Saturdays prior to Election Day; and 8:30 a.m. to noon on the Monday before Election Day. The address is 2293 N. Main St., Room A-205, Crown Point.
All other satellite early voting locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the two Saturdays prior to Election Day; and 9 a.m. to noon on the Monday before Election Day.
Here are the satellite locations for primary early voting:
East Chicago Lake County Courthouse, 3711 Main St. East Chicago
Gary Public Library Main Branch, 220 W. 5th Ave., Gary
Hammond Lake County Courthouse, 232 Russell St., Hammond
Hobart Police Comm, 705 E. 4th St., Hobart
Lowell Town Hall, 501 E. Main St., Lowell
Munster Town Hall, 1005 Ridge Rd., Munster
Schererville Town Hall, 10 E. Joliet St., Schererville
St. John Twp. Assessor’s Office, 9157 Wicker Ave., St. John
Wicker Park Social Center, 8554 Indianapolis Blvd., Highland
Winfield Government Complex, 10645 Randolph St., Winfield
