On Last Day Of Early Voting, Long Lines And Record Numbers

Voters hoping to cast their ballots on the final day of early voting Monday faced massive lines and hours-long waits, although there were worse days to be stuck in line outside. 

The early voters waiting at the Tippecanoe County Office Building enjoyed crystal blue skies and balmy 70-degree temperatures during what, for some, was a three-hour wait. 

At least one person came to vote, saw the sign advertising the long wait and left.

Tippecanoe County’s Timothy Rodriquez was voting early because he was going to be out-of-state Tuesday.

“I was hoping I wouldn’t stand in line,” he laughed, looking ruefully toward the multiple flights of stairs leading to the polling room. “But that didn’t work out too well.”

Baby Effie and her mom, Marie Clifford, camped out on the floor at the front of a line 180 people deep. Like Rodriguez, Clifford said she thought the wait wouldn’t be so daunting the Monday before Election Day, but thought the lack of options in Lafayette meant there wasn’t much of a difference.

“I was surprised there was only one location open today, since I think this is the day when most people are going to try and vote early,” said Clifford, as Effie chewed on her mom’s iPhone.

Clifford says she wasn’t ready to vote until Monday.

“There were some things I wasn’t decided on,” she said. “There was some research I needed to do. “It wasn’t until a week ago I felt until all the way down the ticket I had made all my decisions.”

According to the Indiana Secretary of State’s Election Division, as of 1 p.m. on Monday, more than 854,000 people had voted early, either through mail or at polling locations -- far surpassing 2008’s modern record of 662,000 ballots.

That number doesn’t include travel or military votes, and is expected to rise.