Vote centers get mixed reactions

JOHNSON COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - People headed to the polls in droves Tuesday, but not everyone went to a specific location to vote.

Johnson County is one of eight counties in Indiana that use vote centers. They're polling places where any registered voters can vote, no matter where they live in the county.

Johnson County has 22 vote centers.

This is the first presidential election where five counties are using the vote centers.

And some voters say they prefer scattered precinct sites. Sharon Mandaback and her husband spent all day trying to cast their vote.

The wait at their first stop was nearly two hours.

“I like it the way it used to be. It was much better,” adding the vote centers were congested. “The lines were so long. I had to leave and go to work. I came back at noon and they were still long.”

By contrast, Eleanor Wynters likes the change.

“I think it is more comfortable,” the 80-year-old said.

Johnson County’s Clerk Sue Misiniec says adapting to change takes time.

“(It will take) a couple election cycles before people get on to the concept,” Misiniec said.