Last-ditch effort
Car-sized signs, banners and other campaign materials adorned the cars parked across from the town hall, as candidates for the Bargersville Town Council at-large seats took one last opportunity to get their names out to voters on Tuesday.
Republican James Rumell had been set up at the vote center since 5:30 a.m., thanking people for coming out to vote. It was raining and cold when he started, but clearing, sunny skies made for a nicer afternoon.
He was pleased that so many people decided to cast their vote today. From what he’s heard throughout the day, the Center Grove schools referendum is driving much of the traffic.
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“Even if that is the case, that brings out Bargersville voters. If they’re going to vote for the referendum, they’ll also vote for their council members,” Rumell said.
Democratic candidate Dale Wright had also spent the day at town hall. The experience had been a positive one, as he had a chance to hear from additional voters about the issues they felt were truly important to Bargersville.
“People want a change. They wonder what’s going to happen with I-69, what’s going to happen with their utilities, what’s going to happen with the traffic,” he said. “People turned out. When you have a turnout like this, it means people are interested.
Next to him, Republican Susie Qualls talked with neighbors and other supporters after they had finished with voting. She was also thankful that the referendum was motivating people to vote, as that meant more people taking interest in the town council race.
She was planning to stay out front of town hall engaging voters until the polls closed.
“I’m not leaving until 6:01 p.m., for the whole thing, because I am committed to the community,” Qualls said.
Easy does it
A non-stop stream of voters had come to the town hall in downtown Bargersville throughout the day on Tuesday. By mid-afternoon, 444 people had placed their votes there.
But longtime poll worker Rita Townsend thought turnout was a little bit down from previous municipal elections.
“It’s a little low. We were always a little bit busier than this. We usually don’t get to sit down during the day,” said Townsend, who has volunteered her time at the Bargersville site since 2006.
Still, the fact that voters were coming out was encouraging, said poll inspector Ashley Chaney. The Center Grove schools referendum was driving much of the turnout, as were the three open at-large seats on the Bargersville Town Council.
And with no technical or mechanical problems with the polling equipment today, it made for a relatively easy time, Chaney said.
“It’s just been pretty steady throughout the whole day,” she said.
The volunteers at Bargersville Town Hall were relishing an Election Day free from drama; considering the upcoming presidential primary and election in 2020, they know that next year will be a challenge, Townsend said.
“Next May is going to be ridiculous,” she said. “I’m not looking forward to it. But I’ll be here.”
Explaining the Center Grove
referendum to voters
Center Grove school board member Joe Hubbard believes there are a lot of misconceptions about the Center Grove referendum that he wants to clear up.
He’s been outside the White River branch of the Johnson County Public Library with a sign supporting the referendum since 6 a.m. People have given him the thumbs-up, while others have asked him questions, Hubbard said.
“I’m trying to get them to understand what the referendum is for, since some people think since we’re funding a swimming pool we can fund (school security and mental health),” Hubbard said. “We have to spend money from the state on certain objectives, and the state doesn’t support financially investing in safety and security, so we’re asking the community for support.”
Angela Adams of Greenwood came to the polls specifically to vote in favor of the referendum after learning more about it, she said.
“I’m for it, for security and mental health and the extra work they want to do in classrooms,” Adams said. “I have a daughter in third grade so I absolutely support that.”
You’ve got my ‘no’ vote
After serving for 20 years, Navy Veteran Rich McFarren has voted in every election.
This time around, the Center Grove schools referendum is the only thing on his ballot, and the property tax increase is something he fiercely opposes, referring to the school district spending $23.2 million to build a natatorium as a reason he is against the referendum. If approved, it would raise property taxes to increase mental health support and school security in the schools.
“I voted ‘no,’” McFarren said. “We don’t need another swimming pool for the high school and too many people in the education system get money for nothing.”
Public question on ballot
drives voter traffic at polls
By 12:20 p.m., more than 550 people had voted at Mount Pleasant Christian Church, with most eyeing a single issue: the Center Grove Community Schools referendum.
For voters who live in the unincorporated areas of White River Township, the referendum question is the only thing that appears on their ballots. For most others who have city or town council members to vote for, the referendum question is still the only ballot item they care for, said Nicole Williams, who is serving as an election clerk for the first time.
The fact that a potential property tax increase is up for vote is likely the reason more people than expected have shown up at the polls, said Ron McCoy, an inspector who expected fewer than 100 people to show up at the vote center.
Fighting for mental health,
increased security at schools
Hunter Haskell is running for Greenwood City Council, but today, most of his focus is on the Center Grove Community Schools referendum and educating voters who pass by about the potential property tax hike.
Haskell, a Center Grove High School graduate, has been outside Mount Pleasant Christian Church since 5:30 a.m., with a sign that reads “Vote Yes! For Center Grove Schools.” Last year, Haskell ran for Center Grove school board and hopes that White River Township residents will vote to increase mental health support and school safety at the county’s largest school district even though it will raise their property taxes.
“I ran for Center Grove school board on the status of mental health and school security,” Haskell said. “There’s been a shift in what kids have had to deal with, and the reality of what kids face warrants a greater response.”
Haskell is cautiously optimistic that the vote will go in favor of the referendum, but will continue fighting for increased security and mental health support even if it does not pass, he said.
“I’m taking everything with a grain of salt, but people are coming in droves and the outlook looks good,” Haskell said. “Even if it doesn’t pass, we’ll continue to fight for the community.”
Every vote counts
Election clerks Simerjit Sidhu and Vicki Jordal woke up well before most people’s alarms went off to make it to the polls by 4:45 a.m.
Sidhu has been a clerk in Johnson County elections for the past six years and expects more than 1,000 people to vote at her site by the time polls close this evening.
“It’s fun meeting people, helping the community,” Sidhu said.
Jordal has been working the polls for the past 22 years, and feels the need to help people in the community, including during non-presidential elections such as this one, she said.
“It’s a long day but it’s important, and we want to provide a good service for the citizens,” Jordal said. “No matter which election, a vote is a vote and they all count.”
Smaller, local elections carry
biggest impact on residents
Although most of the voters that pass through the doors of The Nest Event Center are middle-aged or older, a pair of Millennial’s took their time casting their ballots.
Skylar Walsh, 27, and Evan Walsh, 28, have voted in every election since 2016, and Skylar Walsh has voted since she turned 18. They are both registered Democrats and feel the need to make their voices heard in a county that is mostly Republican, Skylar Walsh said.
“We tend to vote Democrat and when (a Democrat) is on the ballot we get out and vote,” Skylar Walsh said. “When I was younger, I went to vote with my mom, and I voted as soon as I could.”
Voting in a smaller, local election has a direct impact on the residents of that municipality, Evan Walsh said.
“With local elections, there tends to be more of an impact on daily life,” Evan Walsh said.
Northside sees majority of voters
More than 3,200 voters cast ballots in the first 4.5 hours of voting.
By 10:30 a.m., 3,208 voters had made it through the lines at the 19 vote centers spread out around the county, said Reagan Higdon, first deputy clerk.
The highest traffic, as per usual, is on the northside. The White River Public Library voted 422 people, the Amity Volunteer Fire Department voted 23, and the Trafalgar Public Library voted 32, Higdon said.
A Center Grove Community Schools public question is drawing more traffic in White River Township.
Sheriff says poll working is his civic duty
During his day off work, Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess was greeting people and answering any questions they had about how to vote.
This is the second election Burgess has worked as a judge after making his debut in the May primary. Although he could be spending his time elsewhere, helping people exercise their right to vote is vital, he said.
“I think it’s a civic duty for me to vote, and this opportunity to watch the polls is a step to help the community,” Burgess said. “I enjoy working with the poll workers here, and our offices our closed on Election Day, so I wanted to participate.”
Burgess is not helping anyone campaign, which allows him the opportunity to work the election, he said.
Passing the time
In three hours, 40 people had voted at the Johnson County REMC on the north side of Franklin.
The five poll workers can get each voter in and out in about 30 seconds when there is no wait.
That leaves hours of downtime for the workers who take the day off of work to perform their civic duty.
That is part of the pull for poll workers, saying they did their part.
“I’ll be able to say I did my part and won’t be able to complain about it,” said Claire Turnmire, a poll worker.
One way they pass the time is continuously checking machines. After every lull, inspector Angie Turnmire walks around the machines to make sure there are no issues.
Other poll workers look over the numbers to make sure everything is recorded accurately.
“I like making sure every vote counts,” Angie Turnmire said.
Making it a family affair also helps pass the time. Angie is Claire’s mother and most of the other workers at the utility company had close relatives volunteering elsewhere in the county, they said.
Change of pace
For two elections, the Franklin City Council member was used to working 12-hour days on Election Day, usually campaigning for himself.
But Richard Wertz is not running for re-election in District 2 after multiple elections spent organizing volunteers and talking to voters at the polls.
“It was a lot of fun seeing and speaking with the people,” he said.
He is changing pace, but he still has a 12-hour day ahead of him, as an inspector at the polls.
Wertz arrived at Johnson Memorial Hospital around 5:30 a.m to get the equipment ready, and in about two and a half hours, had ushered 40 voters through the polls.
As inspector, he is the supervisor at his polling place and is charged with making sure hiccups are taken care of in a timely manner.
For both council service and poll working, volunteering is the name of the game, he said.
Putting a face to a name
A Franklin City Council candidate woke up at 4:30 a.m. on Election Day to start campaigning.
Shawn Taylor packed coolers full of snacks and drinks for his volunteers to use while campaigning for him in Franklin, then dispatched them to some of the busiest Franklin sites.
Taylor is a Republican running for one of the two at-large seats on the council, and he wanted to make sure voters can put a face to a name before they vote.
“It’s another chance to meet as many people as possible,” he said.
Before dawn and in temperatures that hovered around 40 degrees, Taylor pulled on a winter hat and gloves and introduced himself to each voter as they streamed into the church to vote.
He mapped out where volunteers would be and decided that he would concentrate on Grace and the Franklin Community Center because they were the two busiest sites in Franklin during the spring primary.
“I like being out and meeting the public and residents,” Taylor said.
Wait, what?
Voters wanting to cast quick ballots were finding success in Franklin.
No lines were reported at Franklin Community Center nor Grace United Methodist Church, but people continued to stream in as the first hour of voting wore on.
At Grace United Methodist Church, voters were in and out in less than two minutes.
Aaron Young voted at the church around 6:40 a.m and has hardly missed an election since he became eligible to vote.
“I try to make sure I hit them all. People in other countries would kill for what we have,” he said.
Election Day off to slow start
As doors opened at 6 a.m. at the Franklin Community Center, just two voters were waiting in line to cast ballots.
People steadily streamed in during the first 15 minutes. Work to open the polls started long before the first voter cast their ballot.
Poll workers in charge of checking in voters, showing them how to vote and checking on the equipment, had been working for weeks to prepare for Election Day.
Mike Hughes of Greenwood has been a field technician for at least 16 years and is charged with keeping the equipment up and running at five vote centers in Johnson County.
Some voters in this election are trying out new equipment a year after a massive technical glitch disenfranchised voters.
In the last couple weeks of early voting, technicians didn’t find major issues with equipment, Hughes said.
“It’s very easy. It’s easy to set up and explain,” he said.
The biggest issue so far has been user error, Hughes said. The new machines have buttons whereas the county’s old machines were touch screen.
