Vote times app expands beyond Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (INDIANA CAPITAL CHRONICLE) — An app designed to provide voters with wait times at various polling locations has expanded beyond Indianapolis to include Boone, Hamilton and Vigo counties. Developers from IN Tech for Progress, the organization behind the app, say the goal is to someday cover the entire state. 

“Waiting in line is a luxury not all Hoosiers can afford,” a video promoting the app said. 

Indiana is one of a few states that doesn’t allow no-excuse mail-in voting, though it opens voting a month before Election Day. This means that most Hoosiers cast their ballots in person, the video observed.

The first version of the app launched in 2020, when COVID-19 safety protocols added to lengthy wait times. Volunteers built out the app ahead of the 2024 election to add two more counties. 

The tool uses anonymous, crowdsourced check-ins to allow users to see current wait times and historical waits. According to the site’s FAQ, checking in doesn’t require any personal information or an account to use the app. 

Expanding the app to more counties requires not only volunteers, but also that a county utilize vote centers for its residents. The Indiana Secretary of State’s Office reports that 65 counties use vote centers, in which a resident can vote at any polling location and isn’t assigned to just the one in their precinct. 

Frequently, those vote centers are also staffed by volunteers to supplement election workers appointed by Democratic and Republican parties.