On Monday afternoon, The B Square got a peek inside Monroe County’s new election operations building.
It’s the former NAPA building at the corner of 3rd and Walnut streets.
The facility is ready to go for the start of in-person early voting, according to Monroe County election supervisor Karen Wheeler.
Early voting is set to start at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 5.
Hours are mostly 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays through Election Day. Details for the early in-person voting schedule can be found on the Monroe County elections website.
Election Day is May 3.
Not all of the work to convert the building is done, but the parts essential to voting are finished, including the computer network.
To be completed after May 3, in time for the general election, will be: installation of flooring to cover the bare concrete; installation of an awning on the exterior front of the building, and new earth-tone-colored paint to go over the trademark NAPA building blue.
In 2020, in-person early voting was held at Election Central, the election division facility at 7th and Madison streets. Voters had to stand in long lines stretching around the block, due in part to physical distancing requirements that were a part of COVID-19 pandemic protocols.
Compared to 2020 early in-person voting, Wheeler told The B Square that the newly converted election operations building will have more voting booths, more ballot printers, and more electronic poll books.
There are a total of 60 voting booths, compared to 15 in 2020. Instead of just two ballot printers, election operations this year will have five. And instead of four electronic poll books, 10 will be in service.
The first contracts for conversion of the vacant former NAPA building were approved by the county commissioners at their Feb. 23 meeting.
Monroe County clerk Nicole Browne told The B Square she’ll be there early Tuesday morning so that she can be first in line to vote. She wants to make sure everything is working properly.
Early Voting Schedule at 302 S. Walnut
| Date | Time |
| April 05 – April 08 | 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. |
| April 11 – April 14 | 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. |
| April 18 – April 22 | 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. |
| April 23 | 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. |
| April 25 – April 29 | 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. |
| April 30 | 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. |
| May 3 | 9 a.m. – noon |
