2022 elections: What to know about who's on the ballot and how to vote in Tippecanoe County

Ron Wilkins, Lafayette Journal & Courier
·6 min read
Several voting booths are unoccupied as voters cast their ballots at Lafayette City Hall, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 in Lafayette.
Several voting booths are unoccupied as voters cast their ballots at Lafayette City Hall, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 in Lafayette.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Election season begins Tuesday, but for those wanting to participate, Monday is the last day to register to vote for the May 3 Primary Election — assuming one isn't already registered.

Each election brings questions about who's on the ballot, and when, where and how registered voters can cast a ballot.

Answers to every question a voter might have can be found at https://indianavoters.in.gov/, which is simple one-stop site for Indiana election questions and issues, as well as a list of candidates for that specific voter's ballot.

Indiana voter registration

For those with internet access, Indiana has made a one-stop website to get that information at https://indianavoters.in.gov/

The site includes the ability to register online to vote. Other locations to register include the Election Board office on the third floor of the County Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette.

Ordinarily, one may register to vote at Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicle branches, but local license branches are closed Monday — the last day to register — it's a moot point.

Who's on the ballot?

Each ballot is different depending in which township a voter lives.

Voters can find specifically who is on their ballot by logging onto https://indianavoters.in.gov/ and entering their information on the secure website.

There are some races that everyone will vote for such as U.S. senator, U.S. representatives, state representatives.

Some county offices are up for election, and all township offices are up for election this year.

Indiana's Primary Election

Indiana does not have open Primary Elections. That means that voters cannot vote for both Democratic Party and Republican Party candidates.

The purpose of the primary is for the political parties to slate who will be on the ballot for the November elections.

Therefore, Primary Election voters must choose a ballot for either the Democratic or Republican parties.

Indiana early voting

Early voting begins on Tuesday, April 5, at the Election Board office in the County Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette.

Voters may cast a ballot here during normal business hours between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Additionally, the office will be open between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 23 and April 30.

"There is going to be a Saturday that they go out further in the county to offer elections to make it very convenient for everybody to vote,” Tippecanoe County Clerk Julie Roush said last week during an Election Board meeting.

The early voting sites branch out into the communities starting on April 21. Voting locations and sites are:

  • 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 21 at Jefferson High School gymnasium, 1801 S. 18t St., Lafayette.

  • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 23 at Otterbein United Methodist Church, 405 E. Oxford St., Otterbein.

  • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 23 at Stockwell United Methodist Church, 6941 Church St., Stockwell.

  • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 23 at West Point Fire Station, 4949 Indiana 25, West Point.

  • noon to 6 p.m. April 25 through April 30 at Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. 50 South, Lafayette.

  • noon to 6 p.m. April 25 through April 30 at Faith West, 1920 Northwestern Ave., West Lafayette.

  • noon to 6 p.m. April 25 through April 30 at Northend Community Center, 2000 Elmwood Ave., Lafayette.

  • noon to 6 p.m. April 25 through April 30 at Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. 430 South, Lafayette.

During early in-person voting, people may cast a ballot at any location regardless of where in the county a person resides.

Election Day 2022 vote centers

Tippecanoe County adopted vote centers for Election Days more than a dozen years ago.

These sites throughout the county allow voters to cast a ballot at any vote center, instead of the old way of requiring voters to cast a ballot at their precinct vote site.

Roush read the vote center locations during the March 29 Election Board meeting.

“That is a total of 17 Election Day vote centers. I think all we needed was nine to meet the Indiana code,” she said.

Some of the sites have changed.

For example, the vote center at St. Thomas' near Purdue University's campus is out, but voting at the West Lafayette City Hall on Morton Street is in.

The Tippecanoe County 4H Fairgrounds returns as a vote center now that construction is over. But the long-time vote center location at Ivy Tech is nixed.

“We’re glad to be back at the fairgrounds," Election Board employee Mike Smith told the board last week. "It’s always the top three as far as turnout.

“We could not get into Ivy Tech this year.”

The vote centers open at 6 a.m. on Election Day — May 3. They remain open until 6 p.m. Anyone who is in line at 6 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot.

Vote Center locations

  • Clarks Hill Christian Church, 9510 Pearl St., Clarks Hill.

  • Dayton United Methodist Church, 7201 Wesleyan Drive, Dayton.

  • Eastside Assembly of God, 6212 E. 50 S, Lafayette.

  • Evangelical Covenant Church Life Center, 3600 S. Ninth St., Lafayette

  • Faith East Community Center, 5572 Mercy Way, Lafayette.

  • Faith West Community Center, 1920 Northwestern Ave., West Lafayette.

  • Krach Leadership Center, Purdue University, 1198 Third St., West Lafayette.

  • Lafayette City Hall, 20 N. Sixth St., Lafayette.

  • Lafayette Fire Station No. 5, 750 N. Creasy Lane, Lafayette.

  • Margerum City Hall of West Lafayette, 222 N. Chauncey Ave., West Lafayette.

  • Northend Community Center, 2000 Elmwood Ave., Lafayette.

  • River City Community Center, 2842 Old U.S. 231, Lafayette.

  • Tippecanoe County Fairground Coliseum, 1010 Teal Road, Lafayette.

  • Battle Ground Fire Station, 112 North St., Battle Ground.

  • Tippecanoe Township Fire Station No. 2, 448 W. 650 N, West Lafayette.

  • Wabash Township Fire Station No. 1, 2899 Klondike Road, West Lafayette.

  • Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. 450 S, Lafayette.

Mail-in absentee ballots

Indiana eased restrictions for mail-in absentee ballots because of COVID-19 during the last elections, which were in 2020.

Those restrictions are back in place, and Roush said last week that she does not anticipate the overwhelming mail-in ballots that the election workers faced two years ago.

"To vote absentee-by-mail in Indiana, a voter must be able to personally mark their own ballot and sign their name to the completed ballot security envelope and have a reason to request an absentee vote-by-mail ballot," the Indiana Secretary of State's website states.

The website lists several reasons one may apply for mail-in ballots. Among those reasons are that the voter expects to be absent from the county on Election Day during the times the polls are open, has a disability, is at least 65 years old or older.

"A voter must first complete an ... application before each election," the Secretary of State's website noted. "The application to request a vote-by-mail ballot must be received not later than 11:59 p.m., 12-days before the election.

"... Any application received after this deadline — even if it’s postmarked before the deadline — cannot be processed."

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Indiana elections 2022: How, where and when to vote Tippecanoe County.