by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE: This is a commentary written by Fred Swift of the Hamilton County Reporter. The views expressed are those of Fred Swift and do not necessarily reflect the views of LarryInFishers.com.  This opinion piece is posted here as part of a partnership between the Reporter and LarryInFishers.com) 

It’s a big mystery: What does the huge early voting mean come Tuesday night when all that record-breaking number of ballots are counted along with an expected record Election Day turnout?

Election watchers are mystified. It could mean another big win for Republicans or it could mean the first inroads for Democrats into Hamilton County’s well-known GOP tradition.

The county elections office has had nearly 35,000 early voters including thousands of walk-ins at the Judicial Center and three satellite locations and more than 7,500 mailed absentee ballots. The numbers should easily exceed any past off-year election.

Voters will fill many important offices headlined by the choosing of a U.S. Senator. That race between incumbent Joe Donnelly and challenger Mike Braun has attracted national attention and is seen as one that could decide control of the Senate.

There is also a race between incumbent Republican Congresswoman Susan Brooks and Democrat Dee Thornton. Both are Carmel residents. Democrats are making a big push for the State Senate District 29 seat occupied by Mike Delph, who is being challenged by Democrat J.D. Ford.

But, other contests have drawn considerable attention clear down the ballot to school board elections in the county’s six school districts. And, for the first time in years Democrats are challenging Republicans for many county and township offices.

County offices at stake in Tuesday’s election include Sheriff, Prosecutor, Clerk, Coroner, County Commissioner, Judge of Superior Courts 1 and 6 and four seats on the county council. The Republican candidates for prosecutor and judges are unopposed.

All the county’s nine township trustees will be elected this year along with their township boards.

All election results will be known by Wednesday.