INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — At St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, hundreds came to vote early Tuesday morning just when the polls opened at 11 a.m.

Some waited as long as two hours to vote.

A sea of people filled the church parking lot, people snaking through the metal barriers. And when there weren’t enough dividers for people, they started creating their own lines.

One voter, Blake Rowie, usually votes on election day, but called this early voting line “outrageous.”

“On (Election Day), it was more in and out, but today the line is crazy,” Rowie said.

He wasn’t the only one taken by surprise.

“We thought we’d come early and have it done, but I guess I was wrong. It’s going to take a while,” said Gayle Lisman.

Some came prepared with a book. Betsy Boatwright brought a chair. “My sister said it was going to be a two to a two-and-a-half hour wait at this location,” she said.

When asked if she was ready to wait that long, she said, “I was no matter what.”

Melissa Brown took the day off work to vote. “I heard the voting lines including the early voting lines are a few hours long so I try to plan right when it opened.”

Election volunteer Michael Westfield said if you’re still wanting to get ahead and vote, it’s best to come early in the morning, right before they open at 11 a.m.

“The first day was crazy. We had a four hour wait for some people that came in. Now, it’s gotten faster, around two hours.”

He says there are 50 machines onsite, and once inside, voters said the process was easy – it only takes about 10 minutes on the voting machines.

Rowie waited nearly two hours to vote, but said it’s worth it. “I feel like an American.”

The Marion County Clerk’s Office database shows nearly 75,000 people have turned in their ballots, so far.

Voting wait times vary based on location and time, so the Marion County election board recommends checking their website on estimated wait times. The wait time according to the county website at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church midafternoon on Tuesday was 22 minutes.

Early voting at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church is daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Nov. 3.

People lined up on the first day of early voting at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, October 26, 2024 (Provided photo/Katie Garibaldi)