Ballots already cast by 1 in 10 Putnam County voters

Thursday, November 1, 2018

Early voting continues to be on the rise in Putnam County, based on numbers released by the Putnam County Clerk’s Office.

As of mid-morning Thursday, 2,485 people had cast early ballots on the second floor of the Putnam County Courthouse. With 23,738 registered voters in the county, that puts the county over 10 percent voter turnout five days before the Tuesday, Nov. 6 election.

While the total so far falls well short of the 3,629 voters who cast early ballots in 2016, it is likely more appropriate to compare to recent midterm elections rather than a hotly-contested presidential cycle.

In 2014, a total of 973 voters cast either walk-in early votes or some sort of absentee ballot, less than half of the current total. In 2010, 1,550 cast early or absentee ballots.

With early voting not yet complete and no mail-in or traveling board absentee votes yet added to the total, 2018 is already far ahead of these most recent midterms.

The number will continue to climb, with the remaining Thursday ballots not yet added, and early voting still available for three more days.

Besides being open from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday, the early voting location will also be open from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday and from 8:30 a.m.-noon on Monday.

Voter Registration Clerk Stacia Hathaway wished to emphasize the noon closing time on Monday, as voters often show up that afternoon, upset that early voting has closed.

Voting on Election Day remains an option, one that the majority of voters tend to utilize.

This is the second election in which vote centers will be in place for Putnam County voters. Like in the May primary, registered Putnam County Voters, regardless of precinct, may cast a ballot at any one of eight vote centers throughout the county:

• Putnam County Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Square, Greencastle

• Reelsville Fire Department, 7748 S. CR 625 West, Reelsville

• Floyd Township Fire Department, 6901 E. CR 380 North, Fillmore

• Greencastle American Legion, 1401 Indianapolis Rd., Greencastle

• Cloverdale American Legion, 501 S. Main St., Cloverdale

• Bainbridge Community Building, 201 N. Grant Ave., Bainbridge

• Putnam County Fairgrounds Community Building, 191 N. U.S. 231, Greencastle

• Wellspring Christian Church, 3256 S. CR 725 East, Coatesville

The polls will be open on Election Day from 6 a.m.-6 p.m.

Individual precinct-by-precinct polling places are no longer in use in Putnam County.

To vote early or on Election Day, an Indiana driver’s license, Indiana state ID, federal ID or passport is required.

To assist with this need, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles has announced extended hours on Monday and Tuesday.

BMV branches will be open from 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5 and from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

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