Early in-person voting on ‘historic’ pace

People stand in line for early voting outside the former Carson's space at FairOaks Mall in Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. Mike Wolanin | The Republic

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Early in-person voting at FairOaks Mall continued at a “historic” pace on Wednesday, election officials said.

A total of 715 voters cast ballots on Wednesday at the former Carson’s store, raising the total to 1,444 votes cast since Tuesday — breaking the all-time record for most ballots cast during the first two days of early in-person voting.

A total of 729 people voted on Tuesday, the highest ever turnout in Bartholomew County on the first day of early in-person voting. The previous record for most votes casts two days into the early in-person voting period was 584, set in 2016.

“It’s an extremely strong turnout,” Phelps said. “Voters are just responding to just a combination of things, but at the same time I think they wanted to get their votes in now. Their minds are made up. They wanted to cast their votes in person. I would have never guessed in the first two days we’d have well over 1,000 votes.”

Early in-person voting will be held at the former Carson’s space weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Oct. 30.

Additionally, early voting will be held 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the former Carson’s store the two Saturdays prior to election day — Oct. 24 and Oct. 31 — and from 8 a.m. to noon on Nov. 2.

For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.