Voter turnout is down dramatically from four years ago throughout most of the county, despite several hotly contested county races and presidential candidates on the ballot.
An exception is the Duneland area, where voters are being asked whether they want to increase the school's tax rate by 22 cents over a period of seven years, said Kathy Kozuszek, who serves as the Democratic director at the county voter registration office. The increase is being proposed to help the district respond to state-mandated cuts and funding formula inequities.
An unusually large number of Duneland voters are requesting ballots that include just the referendum tax question and no candidates, she said. Kozuszek said she is concerned about that because she fears voters may be under the false impression they can return on election day to vote for candidates.
"They're done," she said. "One ballot, that's it. They need to be mindful of that."
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In-person absentee voting continues through noon May 7, a day before the primary election.
Voting hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porter County Government Center in Valparaiso, and until 3:30 p.m. at the North County Complex in Portage and Chesterton Town Hall.
The Valparaiso location will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
