(LAWRENCE CO.) – The Lawrence County Election Board made changes to both voting and election day under the guidance of the Secretary of State.
These changes have been made due to the COVID-19 and to ensure social distancing while voting and to comply with CDC guidelines.
“The decision by the Lawrence County Election Board to limit the number of vote centers for 2020 Primary, was not without its concern due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Billie Tumey Lawrence County Clerk. “The board also has to follow the laws and orders established by the State of Indiana Legislature and Indiana Election Commission. A major concern was obtaining enough election workers to staff the centers safely.”
“State guidance recommends election workers be under 60 years of age for this primary,” she added. “Another concern was obtaining enough safety supplies to supply each vote center as supplies are limited. Each location selected has enough space to ensure social distancing. We are all facing a unique time and temporary changes are necessary and the top priority is voter and election worker safety.”
All Early Voting for Lawrence County can take place at the following locations.
Bedford Early Voting – Courthouse Plaza at 918 16th Street Suite 200, the former Work One office
- Tuesday, May 26th through Friday, May 29th from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, May 30th Hours 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Monday, June 1st, Hours 8:30 a.m/ until noon.
Mitchell Early Voting – Mitchell Community Center at 101 Tom Green Drive
- Saturday, May 30th, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Onsite voting for Lawrence County can now take place at the following locations.
Election Day Voting Locations For Lawrence County:
- Lawrence County Courthouse
- Parkview Elementary School
- Needmore Elementary School
- Mitchell Community Center
Polls will open at 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. on June 2nd, 2020.
Remember you do not have to vote at your precinct. A registered Lawrence County resident can vote at ANY of these centers! With a valid I.D.
A Lawrence County registered voter may request an application to vote by mail without reason for this primary election.
“Voting by mail is considered a controversial way to vote by some voters. Rest assured the absentee voter board takes every precaution to ensure a legally processed election,” said Tumey.
The State Voter Registration System (SVRS) is linked to the DMV. SVRS has a signature history for every registered voter and signatures are reviewed on every vote by mail ballot received by the absentee board. Every voter also has a unique number ID that is verified.
Other Voter Information:
In addition to moving the primary date, absentee voting was expanded to allow every Hoosier voter the option to vote with a mail-in absentee ballot for this primary election. Remember – if you’d like to use this voting method, you’ll need to request a ballot, and to date, more than 70,400 Indiana voters have requested their absentee ballot for the primary.
Two important deadlines to know with the adjustments to the 2020 primary:
- May 4 – deadline to register to vote.
- May 21- deadline to request an absentee ballot.
Due to the higher volume of absentee ballots and an expected decrease in the number of poll workers, it might take a little longer before officials get back primary results.
Any questions you can contact Voter Registration at 812-277-2036.
