The Vote Center Debacle Explained
6.13.2025 / News / munciepostdemocrat.com
MUNCIE, Ind. — Yesterday on June 12 the Muncie Star Press released an editorial by Democratic Party Chairman Andrew Dale about the current state of adopting a vote centers plan in Delaware County. Adding vote centers to Delaware County is intended to allow residents from anywhere in the county to vote at any center, while dropping the number of needed polling stations from 44 to 26.
The long awaited, now revived effort to bring back talks for a plan comes after recent leadership changes for both Democrats and Republicans locally. Previous heads of each party, D-Ana Quirk and R-Ed Carrol, both decided not to run for another term. Democrat Andrew Dale then competed against Jerry Dishman for the spot and won while Republican Tim Overton ran uncontested. After both Dale and Overton won the same role in their respective parties, Indiana Public Radio did an article about a new opportunity for an agreement. County Clerk Rick Spangler detailed to IPR how bringing vote centers to the county could save taxpayer money, though partisanship from both sides has prevented an agreement with the Election Board over the years. On staffing poll workers, Dale told Spangler “I can make a promise, you will not have that issue with us now.”
Following what was supposed to be a decision on May 8, Dale detailed in the Star Press that despite coming to an agreement with the Election Board, the vote was cancelled three days before it was supposed to take place. This followed with major changes to the plan that Republicans advised Overton to make.
One big contention to local Republicans is the proposed early voting site of First Presbyterian Church, which would be of benefit to the many who work at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital and Ball State University. Additionally, the new changes to the plan would no longer include the Delaware County Courthouse as a second early voting site but instead use the Muncie Fieldhouse. These changes were all seen as maneuvering to increase Republican turnout only.
Overton was stopped from agreeing with the original plan by an unknown set of party officials. Dale went on to talk about communication issues with Overton and not being taken seriously in negotiations. Dale wrote in his piece, “this vote center plan, which includes both a county early voting site and First Presbyterian Church as an early voting site, is lawful, ready to be implemented, and responsive to the needs of Delaware County voters. What it’s not is adopted — because Overton and other members of the Republican leadership are standing in the way.”
Reactions from the Republican party came out quickly, with members of the administration for Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour taking to social media. Though local conservative commentator Kristopher Bilbrey believes that the new party chairs shouldn’t be blamed for their predecessors, and that talks on vote centers shouldn’t be held behind closed doors and instead be more open to the public.
The plan for an agreement comes after years of disputing how the vote centers would operate, most notably in early 2023 when Election Board member Ashley Nichols, Democratic appointment and daughter of long-time local politician Phil Nichols, suddenly voted down the plan. The Star Press reported that her abrupt no-vote came after months of work from all involved, and Party Chair Ana Quirk’s only comment was that people didn’t know enough about the plan.
As early as 2022 local progressives have attempted to “clean up” the party after the reputation of leaders like Phil Nichols and arrest and imprisonment of Mayor Dennis Tyler, though Dale’s recent victory was seen as a good sign against said reputation. The issues plaguing the vote center decision are a test for how the new leaders in both parties will make solutions that their predecessors couldn’t.