Indiana’s voter turnout is among the lowest in the nation. On a city scale, in 2024, Indianapolis voter turnout was at its lowest since 1988. Voter turnout in Marion County was at 55.04% with 358,036 out of 650,471 registered voters casting a ballot in the 2024 general election (Marion County Election Board data). Voter turnout and participation in Indianapolis as a whole wasn’t good – but how does it compare to the Far Eastside voter turnout?

Indianapolis is divided into 621 precincts– 20 of those precincts belong to the Far Eastside.

Far Eastside Precinct Map:

The Marion County Board of Elections collected data from the 2024 General Election within precincts outlining total registered voters, total ballots cast, and percent voter turnout.

(Wonder which precinct you are in? Find your precinct here!)

Voter Turnout Analysis

Turnout within the Far Eastside varies:

• Lowest Voter Turnout Percentage: 27.72% (LA080)
• Highest Voter Turnout Percentage: 51.56% (LA073)
• Average Voter Turnout Percentage: 39.5%

Average voter turnout percentage for the Far Eastside is 15.54% below Marion County voter turnout outcome. 2022 data from Dave’s Redistricting Hub shows that the Far Eastside has 25,021 eligible voters (U.S. citizens, over 18 years old, live in Indiana) and while only 1,515 of these eligible voters are not registered there is a still a huge gap in getting voters to the poll. Only 9,577 ballots were cast out of 23,506 eligible registered voters. There is not a voter registration issue there is a civic engagement issue. 

Common Cause Indiana would like to engage the community and community leaders with the goal of working together to increase civic engagement on the Far-Eastside by making it a collective effort that is practiced regularly and routinely, not just in election years.   

Engaging the Community and Increasing Civic Engagement 

Involvement in civic engagement in communities has many benefits, including a stronger community, improved well-being, and positive social change. 

1. Stronger Community
   • Being civically engaged can create a stronger sense of belonging and pride within a community. Individuals feel a sense of ownership and responsibility towards their community. 
   • Being actively involved in your community can help build trust, collaboration, and camaraderie between community members, organizations, institutions, and government. 
   • Being civically engaged can also mean coming together on similar topics and advocating for change that will help improve one’s community. 
2. Improved Well-being
   • As previously mentioned, civic engagement can lead to advocacy for topics that help improve one’s community. This advocacy can lead to healthier communities through advocacy on topics such as resources, public health, improving public service, etc. 
   • Also, participation in groups with a common goal can reduce isolation, help people create new connections, and provide a sense of purpose helping to increase mental health benefits within a community. 
   • Being involved in a civic engagement group can also help develop transferable skills, such as coalition building, public speaking, communication, project development, etc. 
3. Positive Social Change 
   • Civic engagement allows for a diverse range of voices and points of views to be heard which can lead to a more effective and inclusive political decision-making process. 
   • Being civically active holds elected officials accountable for their actions. This will help with lawmaker transparency and responsiveness. 
   • A civic engagement group strengthens our democratic process by ensuring that our citizens are informed, engaged and able to participate in shaping their communities. 

In all, being civically active can help transform a community and also give individual community members skills, a sense of belonging, and a sense of community. Interested in joining our cause? Email Lortas@commoncause.org