By Marilyn Odendahl
The Indiana Citizen
May 5, 2026
As Indiana’s primary election started on Tuesday, voter traffic at the polling site inside the Gethsemane Lutheran Church on East 10th Street in Indianapolis was sluggish.
Darcy Marlett, the inspector at the polling location, suspected the early morning rain was delaying some voters. With a senior living community near the church, she expected the older voters were waiting for a break in the weather before venturing out to cast their ballots.
By 6:58 a.m., 11 people had voted and by 7:18 a.m., as the sun was emerging through the clouds, the count had climbed to 14.
The polls will remain open until 6 p.m.
Marlett said stormy weather can dampen turnout, but a little rain usually does not have much of an impact. She was expecting more people would be coming to vote during their lunch hour and on their way home from work.
Normally primaries in Indiana draw few voters, but this year, the Hoosier State’s primary has attracted national interest.
A reliably Republican state, Indiana handed President Donald Trump a surprise defeat in December when the General Assembly voted against midcycle redistricting. Twenty-one GOP senators joined the Democrats in the upper chamber and stopped the effort to give Republican candidates an advantage in the 2026 midterm election by redrawing the state’s nine congressional districts.
Seven of those GOP senators are locked in primary battles, facing challengers who are endorsed by Trump and propelled by dark money. Speaking to CNN on Monday, Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray estimated political action committees and nonprofits, many from outside Indiana, have poured millions of dollars into these races to oust the seven lawmakers.
Inside the polling site at Gethsemane Lutheran Church, the bruising campaign fights were replaced by Hoosier Hospitality. Voters were warmly greeted by Lenore Friedly and Marianne Duncan, who checked the voters’ IDs, had them sign the poll book and then handed them their ballots. When the voters had finished making their choices, Quitones Johnson instructed them on inserting their ballots into the box and gave them an “I Voted” sticker.
Friedly and Duncan said they became poll workers to get involved in their community and engage with people. They talked about the importance of voting, participating in civic life, and their desire to see more young adults casting ballots. Also, they noted some people are intimidated by voting, especially since this primary has been so overwhelming.
Johnson has been working at the polls since 2016, joining his mother when she became an election worker. Mother and son arrived at their polling places at 5 a.m. and settled in for a day that would likely extend to 7 p.m.
Occasionally peeking through the glass door into the church’s parking lot to see if anyone was coming, Johnson said he hoped for a busy day so the time would go faster. He did not expect the rain to keep determined voters away from the polls.
“If people are going to vote, they’re going to vote,” Johnson said.
Martin Morasch, a Purdue graduate, stopped to vote at the Gethsemane polling site on his way to work. He was most interested in the local races since, he said, those were the officials that would have the most impact on his daily life. Prior to the primary, he followed the local news and watched the campaigns so he could be confident in his choices at the ballot box.
Marlett encouraged other voters to visit the polls today.
“It’s pretty quick, especially in a primary,” Marlett said, noting that casting a ballot will take about five to 10 minutes. “It’s a quick stop in your day and definitely makes a big impact on the community.”
The Indiana Citizen is a nonpartisan, nonprofit platform dedicated to increasing the number of informed and engaged Hoosier citizens. We are operated by the Indiana Citizen Education Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity. For questions about the story, contact Marilyn Odendahl at marilyn.odendahl@indianacitizen.org.
