Photo: Bill Shaw/Indiana Public Media News
Early voting began in counties across Indiana and will continue until May 7.
Numbers released Friday by the Indiana Secretary of State’s office confirm what was widely expected — voter turnout for Indiana’s 2012 primary fell dramatically from the historic highs of the 2008 primary.
Despite a hotly-contested Republican Senate race, only about 22 percent of registered voters went to the polls in May, down from 40 percent in 2008. But unlike four years ago, neither the Democratic or Republican presidential primaries were competitive, with Mitt Romney virtually locking up the GOP nomination prior to Indiana’s election.
In a statement, Secretary of State Connie Lawson lauded the use of vote centers in some counties this year. Vote centers consolidate multiple precincts into one location as a way to save money.
Lawson pointed to Johnson County as a success story, a county which is expected to save around $60,000 by using vote centers, and says she hopes more counties follow suit.
