The local 2023 primary election is now over, and the question is, what did we learn?  In Fishers, there was only one contested race, but places like Carmel and Westfield saw important results with mayors in each city choosing not to run for re-election.

In Fishers, Jennifer Kehl won the GOP nomination for Fishers City Clerk, garnering 68% of the votes cast.  No other primary election was contested in our city.

However, both Republicans and Democrats unopposed in the primary balloting touted the number of votes cast for them, even though they were assured a place on the November 7 general election ballot.

The Hamilton County Democratic Party even issued a news release on the subject.  According to the party, 47% of primary ballots cast in Fishers were for Democratic candidates.

So, I had to ask myself, what is the significance of how many votes are cast for an unopposed candidate for either party?  The answer is there is some significance, but not a lot.

Primary elections are held for the two major political parties in Indiana.  When voting in a primary election in our state, you must request either a Democratic or Republican ballot.  Some states have open primaries, but not Indiana.

The reason I raise this issue is the fact that independent voters often skip primary elections in the Hoosier state because they are required to declare a party in order to vote in the election.  It should also be noted that independent voters tend to decide many election outcomes.

So, receiving lots of votes from people in your own party in an unopposed election is a number that should be considered.  I do not blame either party for letting everyone know.

It is just my view that it is not as significant as some would say.  We will know more when the votes are counted in the general election Tuesday, November 7th