Free music by local performers at Lugar Plaza during early voting

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — More than 58 million people have cast ballots early, which is more than all early and absentee votes in the 2016 presidential election. Long lines are forming across the state at early voting locations and now there’s music at Lugar Plaza to help the time pass by quickly.

Voters in Marion County were met with long wait times over the weekend and that’s with five additional early voting locations opened.

There was a seven hour wait or longer at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church on Saturday. Voting locations are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekends and Marion County officials saying more than 8,000 ballots were cast. Election board officials say it’s unusual for voters to wait longer than three hours and all machines were ready to go, but poll workers could have been overwhelmed by the turn out.

Absentee voting numbers were released Friday and new numbers are expected to be released Monday. So far, more than 95,000 mail ballots were sent and more than 64,000 were received. In-person early voting numbers show more than 28,000 ballots have been cast.

Voters coming to Lugar Plaza will be able to hear free music performances from local musicians. It starts each day of early voting at 8:30 a.m. outside the plaza.