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Record Voter Turnout in Monroe County

Nearly 60 percent of registered voters in Monroe County cast ballots in yesterday’s midterm election.

That’s despite several polling places in Monroe County running out of ballots. Monroe County Election Board Chair William Ellis said some voters waited three to four hours.

“I wish I could tell you it didn’t discourage turnout, but it did,” Ellis said. “Let me be clear, no one was turned away from a polling place, but when you have a three to four hour wait, that’s defacto being turned away.”

Voter turnout during this year’s midterm election surpassed the 2016 presidential election. Ellis said that’s unprecedented in Monroe County. Generally, more voters cast ballots during presidential years than they do in midterms, but yesterday’s election was seen by many on the left as a referendum on Donald Trump’s presidency.

Despite the unusually high voter turnout in Monroe County, a Democratic stronghold in a state Donald Trump won by nearly 20 percentage points in 2016, Indiana was the scene of major Republican wins last night. Voters re-elected Republican Congressman Trey Hollingsworth over Democratic Nominee Liz Watson by 19.2 percentage points, according to the state elections website. Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly likewise lost a race seen by many in the country as pivotal in a Democratic takeover of the U.S. Senate. Millionaire Jasper, Indiana businessman Mike Braun won by ten percentage points, last night.

Monroe County polling sites were directed to stay open until at least 7 p.m. last night, due to the lack of paper ballots. Ellis said the Election Board will have to review and confirm ballots cast after 6 p.m., the original closing time for polls across the state.

 

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