MUNCIE, Ind. — It took ten minutes to approve vote centers in Delaware County on Monday, after more than twenty years of debate.

Republicans worked with Democrats to approve the plan engineered by County Clerk Rick Spangler, who has been consolidating voting place in recent years. Spangler said the plan had been a long time coming, as Republican Pete Drumm and Democrat Dan Gibson gave their support as members of the county election board to now have 26 places to vote in future elections. Linda Hanson, leader of the Muncie/Delaware County’s chapter of the League of Women Voters, appreciated the change and has advocated for vote centers long before.

Vote centers allow for any voter to vote in any of the dozens of locations, regardless of their residence. The county added two new voting places: Glad Tidings Church, 3001 S. Burlington, and Daleville Station, 14010 W. Daleville. Early voting can be done now at Delaware County Fairgrounds, besides the Delaware County Building.

More than two thirds of Indiana’s 92 counties have voting centers and Indiana is looking to require the system for all counties. The state must approve the voting centers along with county commissioners also approving those places before the midterm election in 2026.