INDIANAPOLIS -- Some Marion County voters are questioning the need for a costly special election to decide just four issues, only one of which is county-wide.

The Nov. 3 election will be comprised of school referenda in Beech Grove, Perry Township and Franklin Township, along with the referendum to build a new Wishard Memorial Hospital, 6News' Norman Cox reported.

Angela Nussmeyer of the Marion County Clerk's office said the election will cost $1.2 million, with the hospital paying more than $1.1 million and the school districts sharing the cost in their areas.

Based on an estimated 9 percent turnout, that's about $24 a vote.

"It's a traditional election, whether five people show up, or we have a 100 percent of our registered voters, we have to pay to put on an election in our county," Nussmeyer said.

Some early voters at the clerk's office said they didn't know why the vote just wasn't delayed until May. Even though the money isn't coming from the clerk's budget, it's still taxpayer money in a roundabout fashion.

"I think that was kind of silly that they had had to do it right now," one person said.

"They could have waited for the election in the spring," said another person. "But the powers-that-be decided that it needed to be done."

Health and Hospital President Matt Gutwein was supposed discuss the election with 6News on Friday, but he said he couldn't because a meeting ran too long.