Live Election Day Blog

Voters emphasize presidential race amid blustering wind

The top of the ticket was also top of mind for voters casting their ballots at the City-County Building in downtown Indianapolis on Tuesday afternoon.

It was Zion Maxwell’s first time voting, having recently turned 18.

“We used to not be able to vote. So why not vote?” said Zion Maxwell, who is Black.

She and her family members were excited to support Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

“She’s the first Black woman (who’s) ever been nominated. So, if nothing else, I’m supporting her for that, because I’m a Black woman and I have three Black daughters,” Torre Maxwell said.

She said Harris’ affordable housing plan was another motivator because she’s been on medical leave recently and has struggled to afford housing on just half her usual income.

Kim Maxwell agreed, saying she soon hoped to buy a house. As an aging diabetic, she also liked what Harris had to say on social security and insulin affordability.

Leonard Lajuan Petty said he was “excited about both parties” but “had to go vote for” Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Petty said the pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program money he got under Trump’s administration helped him maintain his barbershop, Elegant Stylez.

Petty, who has split his ticket between parties, said he made many of his decisions Tuesday based off candidate name recognition.

Trudi, a southsider who didn’t give a last name, wanted Trump “to go away.”

She said she’s a former Republican who left the party in 2017. She described liking Harris’ professionalism, as well as her emphasis on the middle class.

Trudi cited Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun’s support for Trump as a main factor in her vote against Braun.

“I literally pray that we all go back to normal after this,” she said.

Johnson County voter turnout ‘looking good’ at midday, election officials said

At the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Franklin, about 25 miles south of downtown Indianapolis, precinct officials said voter traffic was “steady” and “looking good.”

The fairgrounds site, which has two vote centers within the same building, had more than 680 ballots submitted by 2 p.m. Inspectors for both locations said turnout has been about what they expected, given high rates of early turnout before Election Day.

A line of voters were waiting outside the fairgrounds before 6 a.m., and another rush was expected before the polls close at 6 p.m.

Election officials across Johnson County said lines of voters had formed early Tuesday morning at other polling sites, too.

That included the Greenwood Public Library, outside of which some 150 voters were waiting pre-dawn.

About 70 people were in line to vote before doors opened at Bargersville Town Hall, and several dozen were waiting outside the Trafalgar Public Library, officials said.

Wait times reportedly remained short.

“I would have stayed in line two hours if I’d had to,” said Hannah Sherman, a first-time voter. She cast her ballot early Tuesday in Greenwood — where she said she waited only 15 minutes in line — and returned to Franklin later in the day to help her grandfather vote. “I don’t get into politics or pay much attention, normally, but this is an important one. … I felt like I had to (vote) this time.”

Steady trickle of voters on Indianapolis’ west side

Greg Moorman spent hours Tuesday at the Pike Township Fire Department on Lafayette Road — even though he voted two weeks ago and doesn’t live in the district.

Instead, he was handing out cards about a school board candidate that he supported — his daughter Angela Barnes.

“This morning there was a line but since then it’s steady,” said the Vietnam veteran. He spoke glowingly about his daughter to interested voters before they entered the voting chute.

“She’s a leader,” Moorman said.

He said he wouldn’t miss voting, remembering carrying picket signs when he was a teenager — “I don’t miss.”

Moorman said he is concerned about possible violence depending on the outcome of the presidential race.

“They are chipping away at our democracy. If they keep chipping, pretty soon the stone will fall,” he said.

Tonya Geller, 45, was one of Tuesday’s voters at the polling location. By the afternoon, the sky was cloudy and poised for rain.

“I never miss an election day and this year it seems even more important,” she said. And it’s not just the presidential race. She mentioned the school board races that Moorman was also focused on.

“I am concerned about the direction of our schools,” Geller said.

Indiana attorney general absent from bipartisan call for peaceful transfer of power

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita was one of just five missing signatories on Monday to a bipartisan call for peaceful transfers of power and a condemnation of election violence.

“Regardless of the outcome of Tuesday’s election, we expect that Americans will respond peacefully and we condemn any acts of violence related to the results,” the National Association of Attorneys General said.

“A peaceful transfer of power is the highest testament to the rule of law, a tradition that stands at the heart of our nation’s stability,” the group continued. “As Attorneys General, we affirm our commitment to protect our communities and uphold the democratic principles we serve.”

It called on Americans to “vote, participate in civil discourse and, above all, respect the integrity of the democratic process.”

The National Association of Attorneys General represents the 50 states, District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories.

Indiana’s Rokita, a Republican, was absent. He is on the ballot, against Democratic challenger Destiny Wells.

Also missing from the statement was Montana’s Austin Knudsen (R) and Texas’ Ken Paxton (R). The attorneys general of two territories — Guam and Puerto Rico — additionally didn’t join.

“Let us come together after this election not divided by outcomes but united in our shared commitment to the rule of law and safety of all Americans,” the participating officials said.

They threatened legal action, concluding, “Violence has no place in the democratic process; we will exercise our authority to enforce the law against any illegal acts that threaten it.”

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong (D), Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach (R), Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) and Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum (D) led the statement. Rosenblum is also the group’s president.

Fact-check: Your vote is secret.

Texts circulating around Indiana ominously warn voters that their neighbors will know how they voted in the presidential election — something that is not true.

“Voting records are public — your friends, neighbors, and family will know if you stood with Trump when it mattered most,” one reads.

“Hi (name), this is Sydney with the Indiana GOP. Tomorrow is Election Day — your last chance to make a difference. Whether or not you vote is public, and your community will see if you stood with Trump or stayed home. Don’t let your country down when our future is on the line,” it continues.

“Make a plan to vote tomorrow and send a strong message by voting straight-ticket Republican to keep Indiana safe from the radical left and support Trump’s vision for America. Every vote counts in securing strong, conservative leadership,” the text concludes, before directing voters to an Indiana-run website to find polling locations.

The top of the text says “Braun for Indiana.”

Braun’s campaign said it did not send the messages but that the text “appears to be accurate.”

Braun Senior Advisor Joshua Kelley said, “I believe that whether or not someone votes, how often they vote, and if in primary whether D or R is part of someone’s voting record and a matter of public record. Any citizen can access voting records by making a public records request to their local county clerk or the Indiana Secretary of State.”

In primary elections, Hoosiers can choose to pull either a Democrat or Republican ballot, and their choices are public record. But that’s not true today, in the general election. Voters get one ballot with all of the candidates in their locale, and even if they vote straight-party, it’s private.

And the key distinction is that who you vote for is never public.

What you need to know to vote today in Indiana!

If you are heading out today to vote, be sure to grab your photo ID — but leave home any political shirts, hats, buttons or other merch. 

That’s because it’s illegal to wear political apparel to the polls in Indiana and 20 other states. And it’s across the board – from red MAGA hats to blue Democrat shirts. In several other states, there have been disputes between voters and poll workers over the electioneering laws, which are generally not new. 

Other tips for today include:

Check Indianavoters.com to find a polling location for you to vote. The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. And if you are in line when the polls close, you still get to vote. 

Bring an identification that has a photo; displays your name that conforms with your voter registration record; has an expiration date and either be current or have expired sometime after the date of the last General Election (November 8, 2022); is issued by the state of Indiana or the U.S. government.

In most cases, an Indiana driver’s license, Indiana photo ID card, Military ID, or U.S. Passport is sufficient.

If you are unable or unwilling to present an ID meeting these requirements, you may cast a provisional ballot. If you cast a provisional ballot, you have until noon 10 days after the election to follow up with the county election board and either provide the necessary documentation or affirm one of the law’s exemptions applies to you.

A poll worker can challenge your vote for other reasons that might also require a provisional ballot, such as residency and signature mismatches. Always request and cast a provisional ballot, which will be kept separate from the other ballots cast in that precinct. If you cast a provisional ballot, you have until noon, 10 days after the election to follow up with the county election board and either provide the necessary documentation or affirm one of the photo ID law’s exemptions applies to you.

If you have questions or concerns on Election Day there are places to go. 

• Call the Indiana Secretary of State and Indiana Election Division HAVA Fraud and Accessibility Grievance Line at (866)- IN-1-VOTE (866-461-8683). HAVA staff will be on hand to answer calls from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM (Indianapolis time) on Election Day.
• Indiana Disability Rights Voters with disabilities needing assistance regarding accessibility issues may also contact Indiana Disability Rights at (317) 722-5555 or toll free at (800) 622-4845 
• Indiana Election Division Direct at (317) 232-3939 or toll free at (800) 622-4941 
• Federal Department of Justice Civil Rights Division at (202) 307-2767 or (800) 253-3931 Public Integrity Section, Election Crimes Branch (202) 514-1178.

Rise and shine! What it’s like to open up an Indiana polling precinct

Before 6 a.m. — when traffic lights are flashing instead of cycling through their colors — the line at the Broad Ripple Family Center stretched from the locked doors, through the parking lot and down a road in Broad Ripple Park to another parking lot.

Polls open in Indiana at 6 a.m. The first voter said he arrived at the center at 5:05 a.m., leading a line of dozens of Indianapolis residents. Doors opened and the building absorbed nearly all of the line, sheltering voters from the drizzly rain that started shortly after 6 a.m.

Once inside, voting appeared to move quickly — the first man left by 6:09 a.m.

But for Stephanie Fitz, this wasn’t her first visit to the precinct center on Election Day — nor would it be her last.

Unlike her fellow voters, Fitz was wide awake and fully caffeinated. She said she woke up with her wife, a poll worker, at 3:30 a.m. and relaxed before her spouse’s anticipated 16- to 24-hour day tabulating ballots. Fitz planned to bring poll workers lunch and, potentially, dinner.

“I’ve voted in every election, including primaries, since I was 18,” said Fitz, 52. “It was instilled in me that voting is the most important service you can do.”

Though she’d be back later, Fitz wanted to cast her vote to make sure it counted.

“I’ll feel better, too,” she said.

At another precinct across town, Barbara Ferrill’s scheduled shift to work the polls started at 5 a.m. The 59-year-old liked her first experience last year so much she decided to do it again at the Brookside Park Family Center in Indianapolis.

“I have a Stanley thermos with coffee in it that seems to help,” Ferrill said about the early start time.

As a security guard, Ferrill works from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. most days, but she said she planned to work a half day on Election Day during an interview with the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

“You have to go and you have to make sure all the computers are hooked up and programs so that people can vote, Ferrill said, describing the process. “You have these partitions you put around each one (and) we also set up tables and chairs so people who are waiting have a place to sit down.”

Poll workers are also sworn in — another part of their morning duties.

Getting everything set up in advance is crucial for the early crowd, who are often in a rush to get to their work obligations, Ferrill said.

“They’re in a hurry and we want to be able to get them through it as quickly as possible,” Ferrill said.

Nearly one in three Indiana registered voters made their picks early

Nearly a third of Hoosiers registered to vote did so early, according to data from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Indiana had about 4.8 million residents on the rolls after the Oct. 7 registration deadline. Early voting began the day after.

By 11:30 a.m. on Monday, more than 1.5 million residents had voted early — marking 32% turnout before Election Day itself.

While it’s too early to know if this year’s turnout will eclipse previous years, Indiana traditionally has one of the worst turnout rates in the country. The 2020 general election hit a recent high-water mark of 65%, buoyed by an unusual election year with additional absentee voting flexibility, but sank to 40% in 2022. In 2016, another presidential year, 58% turned out to vote.

Most early voters, almost 1.3 million, cast their ballots in person. Mail-in voters were the next-largest group, at more than 180,000 strong.

Nearly 11,000 disabled or injured Hoosiers — or their caretakers — voted by traveling board. Bipartisan teams deliver ballots to such voters and help them complete ballots if they’re not physically able to so themselves.

And almost 6,000 voted by email. Just one person voted by fax.

More than 30,000 would-be voters had just a day and a half to get their mail-in, traveling board or email ballots turned in to be counted.