The 2026 midterm voting season kicked off in Indiana this week as polls opened for early voting to considerably less fanfare than the last time voters gathered here to vote in 2024.
Poll workers sat idle for most of the morning into the afternoon before placing their lunch orders as voters trickled in at a snail’s pace.
“We’re getting out to a slow start, but as long as folks know we’re here and that they have a full month to get in here, we should be OK,” said poll worker Tommy Schuler Jr.
Early voting for this year’s primary began Tuesday, April 7, and runs through noon Monday, May 4.
Gary voters will help decide who advances to the November general election in races that will shape policing, taxation, and public services, including contests for Lake County sheriff, auditor, treasurer, and County Council, as well as the Calumet Township Board. With only one federal contest, Indiana’s 1st Congressional District, on the ballot, attention is largely focused on county and township offices. The congressional seat was recently the focus of redistricting efforts backed by the White House, but the push was ultimately not adopted by the Indiana Senate.
Among the most closely watched contests is the Democratic primary for Lake County sheriff, a crowded race that includes Edward Jenkins, Steven Flores, Jason Gore, Jerry Williams, Maria Garcia Trajkovich and John Gregory Sanchez.
Jenkins was among those casting ballots when early voting first opened at the Gary Public Library, emphasizing the importance of voter participation even in lower-profile elections.
“I think it’s important that we have viable candidates, and that citizens come out and support these candidates to make sure our country, our government, runs the way it should run,” Jenkins told Capital B Gary.
Former Gary Common Council president William Godwin was also among the early voters and implored residents to take advantage of the voting period, pointing out that some states do not have the luxury.
“There’s no excuses,” Godwin said. “Anything can happen between now and Election Day. We have a full month to stop in and avoid long waits. Not every state has that privilege.”
Turnout in recent primaries has been low, raising the stakes for those who do vote. In the 2024 primary, only about 14% of Gary’s registered voters cast a ballot, down from roughly 25% in 2020, according to a Capital B Gary analysis of Lake County Board of Elections data.
Despite historically low turnout, the outcomes of these races can have an outsized impact, as a relatively small number of votes often determines who advances to the general election.
Major Races on the Ballot
Gary voters will choose candidates to advance to the Nov. 3 general election for:
- U.S. Representative (Indiana’s 1st Congressional District)
- Indiana state senator
- Lake County Sheriff
- Lake County Assessor
- Lake County Auditor
- Lake County Clerk
- Lake County Council
- Calumet Township Trustee
When and where to vote early
Early voting began Tuesday, April 7, and continues through Monday, May 4.
Gary residents can cast early ballots at the Gary Public Library, the city’s only early voting location, during the following hours:
- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
- 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday
- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 25, and Saturday, May 2
- 9 a.m. to noon Monday, May 4 (Monday before Election Day)
Registered voters in Lake County may also cast ballots at any early voting site across the county, including locations in East Chicago, Hammond, Highland, Hobart, Lowell, Munster, Schererville, St. John, Winfield, and at the Lake County Board of Elections.
Primary Election Day is Tuesday, May 5.
