Good morning, everyone.

We'll call the Marion County Election Board meeting to order here at 9 01 uh April 24th.

Uh before we get started, we'll do introductions.

Uh we'll start with the board, uh, council and staff.

Um start with myself, Nalia Stewart, Chair.

Good morning, Jennifer Pink, Vice Chair.

Kate Sweeney Bell, Secretary.

Patrick Becker, Director of Elections.

Uh Brad Boswell, outside council.

Adam Wicker Corporate Council.

Okay, thanks everyone for our introductions and being here this morning.

Um the thing on the agenda here is we have uh update amendment to the vote center plan.

Uh Director Becker, you would give us an update on what change.

Uh yes, thank you, Madam Chair.

So uh the amendment that is in front of you really there's one change to the vote center plan that was adopted in uh early March, and that is that uh Camp Belzer is no longer a vote center, and in its place is Crestview uh Elementary School.

So through some conversations over the last couple weeks, realized that Camp Belzer was not going to be a fit for uh for them uh for for election day.

And um that was ultimately uh we were replacing Castleton United Methodist Church.

That was a pretty substantial site up there.

Crestview Elementary is actually down the road from Castleton United Methodist, so uh still kind of filling the need in that area for the folks in Lawrence Township.

Um and I just wanted to thank the folks uh personally at Lawrence Um the MSD uh Lawrence uh Township because um we reached out in over weekend um and and we were in a a bit of a jam and uh they were very responsive and the superintendent um was very um you know was uh a proponent of this and they've been great partners as you know throughout the vote center plan there are a many Lawrence Township schools.

Uh they've also been previously hosting us for early voting uh up until this year.

So uh just wanted to kind of give a thanks and a shout out to to Lawrence Township for uh schools for helping us uh get this done.

And happy to answer any questions.

Um I can tell you too if you'd like.

So on the actual amendment um or the vote center plan, it's page 16 where Camp Belzer is just replaced with Crestview, and that's Crestview Elementary is at 7600 East 71st Street up in Lawrence Township.

Will the school be closed on election day?

That's my understanding, and that was some of the things that they were working through on their end was or e-learning, not closed.

Figuring out um how to accommodate us in that space, and and they were able to make that happen.

Um so again, appreciate their willingness to to jump in and their flexibility to be responsive over a weekend, and we were actually able to kind of get this done early this week um and and get all of this ironed out.

They did want a few days to get their ducks in a row, so um we've updated we've pulled Camp Belzer um off of all of our publications and our website.

Um and then after we approve this today, um we will be getting all of the Crestview elementary information uploaded to vote.indy.gov.

Um, and um that has given them time to also uh get their things in order this week.

So great.

Okay.

Any questions for the board?

Okay, there's no questions.

I move to uh uh accept the amended vote center plan.

Second, okay, properly motion and second, and call roe, vice chair.

Aye, madam clerk, I okay and show the chair voting aye.

Okay.

With that, um director Becker or Madam Clark, any updates to share while we're here, since this maybe should be our last time meeting before officially election day.

Uh I do have I uh we uh well I have some some some facts and figures to give you and our our um early voting is going strong here at the city county building.

Uh our satellite sites open tomorrow, Saturday the 25th, and will be open daily from 11 a.m.

to 6 p.m.

Anyone who would like information on uh the addresses, the our wait times gonna be up.

Yeah, we can we can do that.

Um if if necessary.

How long the lines are, yeah.

Yeah, if if there are lines places, we will uh implement our wait times uh tracker on our website, vote.indy.gov.

Um we do not anticipate very many lines, long lines at the vote centers um beginning tomorrow.

Uh if there are, we're ready for you.

Our our poll workers are ready to go and ready to uh look at your ID and cast your ballot.

We also have uh yesterday, last night, 11 59 59 p.m.

was uh the last opportunity for anyone to request an absentee ballot who wanted to vote by mail.

Um and those are being processed, uh the final ones today, and uh will if once approved will be mailed out uh within the coming days.

We also have um the hours here at the city county building are different than the other vote center hours, except on the weekends here at the city county building.

Vote as as our vote center, it's 11 a.m.

to 6 p.m.

However, during the week it's 8 a.m.

to 6 p.m.

So that is uh the only change, and we're open here on Monday, May 4th from 8 a.m.

to noon for early in-person voting, and then um I I think we should actually try something else.

Let's try to extend the voting hours for election day.

Can we do that here?

No, I'm kidding.

What are we doing right now?

Uh we can extend some of them, uh, just not those.

So uh six to six it is, um, and uh well hopefully the legislature will uh take that measure up uh in the next session, but uh not as time we shouldn't hold our breaths.

Uh those are my updates.

I I we are voter turnout is uh in person early voting turnout is way up from even the 2024 uh tracking data that we have.

Uh sadly or and and predictably uh mail in voting is uh down for the same time.

Um and I I'd like to think that it is because of our efforts here.

I I wonder if it is part of the national rhetoric.

But uh the regardless uh turnout is up and we expect that trend to continue.

So uh make a plan to vote and uh visit vote.indy.gov to uh find out the location that is most convenient for you and your family and tell everybody you know how cool voting is.

Very good.

Thank you, Matt Clark.

Yeah.

Um if there are no other updates, we the next scheduled meeting is election day.

Uh we'll be at the election service center all day.

Um giving everybody a chance to vote.

So I asked for uh with that a motion to adjourn.

So moved.

I'm I'm for adjourning.

Thank you.