Mike Wolanin | The Republic A sign points to the entrance to the vote center inside Donner Center during midterm elections in Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.
In line and waiting to vote
Bartholomew County election officials were delayed in reporting election results Tuesday night after voters were still in waiting to vote at three voting centers when polls closed. The absentee results, the first to go up on the Bartholomew County clerk’s website, were posted at 7:40 p.m.
At around the time the polls were scheduled to close at 6 p.m., as many as 168 people were still in line at the NexusPark voting center, election officials said. At 6:55 p.m., there were about 75 to 80 voters still in line at NexusPark.
As many as 18 voters were waiting at St. John’s Masonic Lodge at 6:45 p.m. and about eight people were still in line at Donner Center.
First-time voters in Hope
There appeared to be an influx of first-time or inexperienced voters at the Hope Moravian Church.
But surprisingly, most appeared to be of retirement age, Democratic Clerk Laura Carmer said.
It did take election workers extra time to teach older voters how to operate voting machines for the first time. However, the older voters also brought in a few service dogs that seemed to pick up spirits. Election officials in Hope did not speculate on why so many older people who they have not seen before decided to do so in Hope on Tuesday.
Worth the wait
At St. John’s Masonic Lodge and Flintwood Wesleyan Church vote centers, some voters had to wait in line more than a half-hour early Tuesday afternoon. Both voting centers had steady queues of between 40 to 50 voters at any given time. When voter Jamie Nelson was asked what his greatest interest was in the results of Tuesday’s election, he didn’t hesitate to say “Congress.” When asked to provide some specifics, Nelson listed inflation and voter rights among his largest concerns. Another voter, Jerry Weber, said his largest concern was getting at the truth. When asked what type of truth he sought, Weber said he wants to know how federal lawmakers, including the U.S. President, make a limited amount of money in office, but are able to accumulate a vast amount of wealth later in their lives.
Hour by hour
Although anecdotal descriptions of voter turnout were plentiful Tuesday, Republican election inspector Pam Hartley at Flintwood Wesleyan Church kept hourly turnout figures through the morning: 6 to 7 a.m. – 94 voters; 7 to 8 a.m. – 85 voters; 8 to 9 a.m. – 81 voters; 9 to 10 a.m. – 85 voters; 10 to 11 a.m. – 79 voters; 11 to noon – 86 voters.
One last pitch
Outside each county voting center, political supporters could be found making one last pitch for one or more candidates. But while stumping for school board candidate Dale Nowlin, Mark Wagner said he was surprised how many people arrived who said they had already made up their minds concerning who would get their votes. “Whether they’ve been reading about it in the paper or following social media, most people would say ‘Thanks, but I already know who I’m voting for’.”
