Election workers were seeing higher-than-normal turnout this morning as voters choose a new president as well as a new governor and U.S. Senator in Indiana.
“It has been awesome. At 6 a.m. we had a lineup as long as I’ve ever seen,” said poll inspector Jim Heierman at the Center Lake Pavilion, where Warsaw 5-1, 5-2 and 5-3 votes. “We’ve been working well together and getting voters through quickly. There’s been no hiccups. It’s been constantly busy.”
As of about 8:30 a.m. today, the location had 218 voters. “People are excited. People are excited to be here,” Heierman stated.
“It’s been a long line since the beginning, which is a good thing,” said Patricia Yarian, poll worker/inspector at Wayne 11 and 5, New Life Christian Church, Warsaw, at 6:30 this morning. “I’ve never seen it this busy, which is a good thing.”
Between 6 and 7 a.m. this morning, voters at New Life had to wait up to 15 minutes to vote because of the size of the line. Bill Landrigan has voted at the church for a number of years.
“There’s no comparison with what I’m seeing here today. I would use the word tremendous this morning,” he said.
“There’s a lot of emotion involved in this election, probably from both sides,” he said. “To me, there’s never been such a marked contrast in the platforms of the two parties.”
Marcie Anders said the presidential election was a big reason for her to get out the vote today, but she does vote all the time. “I just think it’s a privilege and a right to cast our votes,” she said.
Tim Perkey didn’t want to say who he was voting for, but the presidential race was the main reason he took the time to vote early today.
“I feel like it’s my civil right to vote and I use my rights to be heard as a citizen,” Perkey said.
Even before today, Ann Torpy, Kosciusko Clerk of Circuit and Superior Courts, reported Kosciusko County had 4,984 early voters, which is just over 9 percent of the 54,162 total registered voters. By absentee mail, 1,176 residents voted, and there were 106 military and overseas voters. She also reported there were 63 confined voters.
Warsaw 4-1 votes at Saint Anne’s Church where poll inspector Bill Huffer estimated they had over 80 voters. “We’re doing well. We’re real pleased. We’ll check midday to see how well we’re doing. No question we’re doing better than before,” Huffer said, adding that they had a line of seven or eight people when the polls opened at 6 a.m.
Linda Stouder, poll inspector at Warsaw 1-2 in the Oakwood Cemetery chapel, said turnout was “really good. Our numbers are high this time. Compared to what we normally have, we have 50 percent higher than we normally have. It’s a good turnout, a really good turnout.”
She said when they opened the doors this morning, there was a line. She estimated that by 9 a.m. they had about 90 voters, and the election site usually gets 100 to 120 all day on election day.
“So to get 90 by 9 a.m., we’re hitting above our average (for the entire day),” Stouder said.
In Winona Lake at the Gordon Rec. Center, Wayne 10 poll inspector Karen Wildman said, “It’s going very well. We have a lot more than we typically do.”
As of about 9:20 this morning, she said the peak so far was between 6 and 7 a.m. “It was a long line, but there’s been a line except every once in a while,” Wildman said.
Wayne 3 poll inspector Janice Workman said, “It’s been real steady. It’s probably the biggest one I’ve worked and I’ve worked it for years.” She reported the voters have been a good mix of older and younger and there’s been no problems.
Warsaw Ward 2 Precinct 2 votes in city hall where Jack Volkers said they’ve seen a “very heavy” turnout. As of 9:30 a.m., they had 77 voters, which is about the same number (80) they had all day during the May primary. “I’ll expect a vote of 200 (by the end of the day), which is very high. We had 119 in the last presidential election,” he said.
The precinct had 25 voters in the first hour this morning, with six of those people standing in line waiting for the polling site to open.
Polls close at 6 p.m. today, with local results tabulated in the clerk’s office in the Justice Building.
Both local parties will have gatherings tonight. Republicans will meet at the GOP headquarters, 103 E. Center St., from 7 to 10 p.m. Democrats will meet just down the street at Mad Anthony’s, 113 E. Center St., also from 7 to 10 p.m.
