Kristen Knodel and Carly Kitchens are veteran volunteers when working at polling locations. Today the pair, along with three others, ran the Delaware County Fair Grounds location. Muncie residents are voting in the 2024 primaries. Decisions including party candiates for President of the United States, Indiana Governer and County Commisoner are on the ballot.
Two precincts were held in this location; #7 and #27. For the poll workers, this means they have to select which precinct the voter is a part of. Polling days can last around 13 hours for those who volunteered. Some get up as early as 3:30 a.m. and may not end their day until 6:30 p.m. or later. Volunteers also went through training and set up the location Monday night.
Today was the only ‘live’ day to vote in this area and voting stopped at 6 p.m. You can still vote early at the County Building or mail in your ballot.
RELATED: 2024 Primary Election Results for Delaware County
Kitchens, sophomore at Ball State, has volunteered for this position a total of three years. She makes sure the technology is set up and working for the sign-in process, as well as greets people coming in to vote.
Knodel has been actively volunteering for over a decade. She loves to help people vote and feels helping out is just something really American. Knodel lived in a foreign country for a year and learned how important it is that we get the privilege and right to vote in the USA.
“If you don’t know your candidates, you have to look them up and read about them,” Knodel said. “See what they say about themselves, rather [than] what someone else is saying.”
There is an unofficial website where you can find candidates and your stances on certain topics after answering multiple questions. Knodel’s friend was a history teacher for over 35 years and told her to check out isidewith.com. She says this can be used as a source to help educate people on where they may stand.
Both Kitchens and Knodel advise people to educate themselves on the candidates before voting so they can make their vote matter.
“If they have been a candidate before, you can look at their voting record,” Knodel said.
Chris Jones, who works in healthcare at Ball Hospital, went to the polls and voted today. He has been living in Muncie since 1976 and has votedted every year that he is able.
“If you don’t vote, then you don’t have your right to complain about anything happening politically,” Jones said. “You may be just one person, but we’ve seen elections where small numbers did matter. If you want to participate in change your vote makes that happen with others- for hopefully good.”
Jones shares that doing your own research is important because of the polarization of politics in the news and on the radio.
“I want to know who is serving us and doing the business that they were voted in to do,” Jones said.
The next elections will take place on Nov. 5. Information about voting can be found online at the County Clerk's website.
Contact eliana.marker@bsu.edu with any questions, comments or concerns.
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