Election Day notebook

Heavy early turnout Tuesday

Bartholomew County election officials reported that 8,001 residents cast ballots between during the first six hours of voting Tuesday. On top of 11,749 ballots cast in early voting that began Oct. 10, Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps was expecting a midtern election turnout record by the time the final vote was cast.

Election Day voting was steady and nonstop, which prompted election officials to add additional voting machines at several locations. Voting centers with the heaviest turnout Tuesday morning were, in order: Grace Lutheran Church, Donner Center, Flintwood Wesleyan Church, St. John’s Masonic Lodge and the German Township Fire Station. Two machines at Donner Center that were not working were replaced with four others, Republican inspector Mary Rigsby said. With eight machines, there were no more than six people waiting to cast their ballots during the noon lunch hour at Donner.

Traffic remained steady throughout the day at the German American Bank on Jonathan Moore Pike. Election inspector Julie McCawley said the site had experienced long lines between 10:30 and 11 a.m. Tuesday and had seen about 480 people casting their ballots as of 1:30 p.m. Five voting machines were expected to be in place, but one of them failed to boot up, McCawley said.

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McCawley said there had been no other issues reported at the site.

"It’s been a really good day," she said. 

Church offers treats to voters

It might not be a coincidence that the voting center at Grace Lutheran Church was one of the most popular in Columbus on Tuesday.

In a church tradition, voters were treated to goodies ranging from cheese sticks and fresh fruit to cookies and fudge. The church has offered these types of treats to voters as a thanks for voting for nearly 20 years, said church volunteer Ken Vorthmann of Hope.

A table of treats was set out near the area where voters exited.

Balanced budget decision

When the vote center at the Hope Moravian Church opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday, there were already 12 people waiting to cast their ballots, GOP inspector Joan Shaw said. For the rest of the morning, there were always at least four people waiting in line — and never a time when one of the machines were not being used, she said.

Although every effort was made to cut down on wait times, the public ballot question regarding balanced budgets kept residents at the machines longer than any other factor, Shaw said.

Voter motivations

Columbus voters said they had different motivations for their votes on Tuesday.

  • Betsy Elwert, voting Tuesday afternoon at Grace Lutheran Church, said voting is the only effective voice for a person who isn’t with the status quo.
  • Sheryl Adams, who voted Tuesday afternoon at Donner Center, said her strongest motivation this year was keep Democrat Joe Donnelly in the U.S. Senate.
  • Megan Valek, also voting at Donner Center, said it wasn’t a single candidate or issue, but an excitement for politics inspired by 2016 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders that provided her greatest motivation.
  • Columbus resident Mike Strietelmeier said he was motivated to come out and vote particularly for the U.S. Senate race between incumbent Joe Donnelly and Mike Braun due to the number of television commercials.
  • Sara Abbott, also of Columbus, said she considers voting to be a privilege. The Senate race between Donnelly and Braun also caught her attention, but she declined to reveal which candidate she voted for. "I just feel like I wanted someone who wouldn’t be wishy-washy on all the issues," Abbott said.
  • Kelly Lee, who voted at Grace Lutheran Church Tuesday afternoon, said she felt it was important for people to exercise their civic duty to vote regardless of their political party. "Whether you are a Democrat or Republican or Libertarian, I think it’s important to have your voice be heard," Lee said.
  • That sentiment was also shard by Debbie Campbell, who also said she considers it a privilege to vote. But for those who hadn’t voted, Campbell had a message for them. "You’ve not done your due diligence," she said.

Pence votes on Election Day

Columbus resident and businessman Greg Pence, the Republican candidate for Indiana’s 6th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, started Election Day by voting locally.

Pence voted Tuesday morning at The Commons in downtown Columbus, according to campaign spokesperson Molly Gillaspie.

Lauer greets voters

Republican candidate Ryan Lauer took time Tuesday to go around to different polling places, where he greeted voters and thanked volunteers for their support during a final push in the District 59 state representative race.

Among his visits was the German American Bank on Jonathan Moore Pike around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"It’s wonderful to see there’s a good turnout," Lauer said. "I’m really energized that people are going out and voting."

He also said he had encountered a woman from India who had just received U.S. citizenship in April, along with another individual who had also become a U.S. citizen.

"I could just see the excitement in their eyes to go vote for the first time," Lauer said. "It’s something really special."

Republic staffers Mark Webber, Matthew Kent, Julie McClure and Kirk Johannesen contributed to this report.