Marion County's Primary Results Slowly Coming In

Election results started to trickle in Tuesday night in Marion County. In these not normal times, election officials did not expect to have results right away.

In the 5th District that touches part of Marion County, Democrat Cristina Hale and Republican Victoria Spartz declared an early victory in crowded fields. 

Deputy Director of the Marion County Clerk’s Office Russell Hollis says they had to wait until everyone was out of the hours-long lines before they could begin counting votes.

"We are not going to be able to close down the voting equipment until the last voter has voted," says Hollis. 

Hollis says the county had a sufficient number of poll workers, but counting the more than 122,000 absentee ballots will take time.

Mail-in ballots take longer to count and there are different ways they need to be verified on county and state levels says UIndy Political Science Assistant Professor Laura Wilson. 

"Accuracy is more valuable than speed in democracy," says Wilson. 

Voters are also deciding state senator and representative candidates.

Wilson says she wouldn’t be surprised if there were a greater number of people engaged this primary election.

"It is a political atmosphere and people are taking note and they see this as motivation to go to the ballot box," says Wilson.

This story will be updated.