Legislators’ pettiness could thwart efforts to make voting more convenient and less expensive for Hoosiers.

A proposal to allow Indiana counties to change from precinct-based polling stations to vote centers will die unless legislators act now. Vote centers allow voters to choose for themselves the most convenient location to cast their ballots rather than being tied to assigned precincts. But a partisan battle over a proposal to change absentee ballot rules is preventing the vote center proposal from moving forward. With the legislative session ending by Sunday, lawmakers have only a few days to revive the measure.

The vote centers are more convenient for voters, which encourages election participation. Using vote centers would allow county election boards to use fewer, but more strategically located, voting sites. It would make it easier for county election officials to ensure that every voting site is easily accessible to people with disabilities, has ample space for voting machines and plenty of parking.

Equally important, switching to vote centers would allow every county to save significantly on election costs. A study from the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute revealed that Allen County could save 53 percent on Election Day costs by making the change. The county would be able to go from 131 to 40 voting places.

Considering the tough economy and the fact that many local governments have to slash budgets and cut services, legislators should be ashamed if they do not approve a measure that would improve service and save money for Indiana residents.

The failure to pass the legislation means that Allen County will not be able to take advantage of voting centers. It also means that the three counties – Cass, Tippecanoe and Wayne – that were testing the effectiveness and efficiency of vote centers will have to revert to old precinct-based voting and give up the advantages they have enjoyed over the vote center pilot period. The testing began in 2007, and without legislative approval, the vote center pilot program ends in 2011.

According to the Lafayette Journal and Courier, it could cost Tippecanoe County residents an estimated $225,000 more on Election Day if the county is forced to go back to precinct voting. The county would need to hire additional polling site workers and buy more voting machines, and it would likely have to spend money educating voters about where they are required to vote.

In 2008, voter participation jumped 4 percent statewide. It jumped as much as 15 percent in the counties piloting vote centers.

The study and the experience of voters in the three test counties prove vote centers are more convenient for voters and more economical for county budgets. Lawmakers are returning to work today and should adopt vote centers.