Vote center action for Monroe County fails 2–1, needed 3–0 unanimous vote to pass

Monroe County will not become a vote center county for the 2026 election cycle.

The tally for the Monroe County election board's vote on Monday night to establish Monroe County as a vote center county failed on a 2–1 vote. Under state law, the decision required a 3–0 unanimous vote.

Making up the current board are: Monroe County's elected clerk, Nicole Browne: the Monroe County Democratic Party's appointee, John Fernandez: and the Monroe County Republican Party's appointee, Danny Shields.

The vote of dissent came from Shields.

Vote centers are different from the kind of precinct-based polling locations that are currently used by Monroe County. At a precinct-based polling site, only voters from specified precincts can cast a ballot there. Vote centers are polling places where a voter who is registered in any precinct can cast a ballot.

As of early 2025, 65 of Indiana's 92 counties have adopted vote centers.

Basic arguments for vote centers involve making voting more accessible. For the Monroe County vote center proposal there was an upfront additional cost. Part of the reason given by Shields for voting against it involved cost.

County councilor David Henry shouted at Shields when the meeting concluded; "Shame, Danny, Shame!"

[Added at 8:04 p.m. Mary 19, 2025. Here's a .pdf scan of remarks read aloud by Shields at the meeting.]

As a Civic Ticker item, this B Square report includes just the bare bones outcome. The B Square will follow up with a more detailed report of the meeting.