– Standing in the drizzly cold outside Vineyard Community Church, George Morrell couldn’t help but smile. He’d been waiting for more than 40 minutes to cast a ballot, with dozens of his neighbors stretched out to his left and right. But Morrell said he’d never been more excited to wait in a long line on Election Day. “I love this,” he said. “It should be like this all the time.”
– It didn’t look much like spring early at the polls Tuesday. At the Hancock County Fairgrounds, candidate supporters sat bundled up in hats and gloves on a cold, rainy May morning while greeting voters.
– A sign posted at the Hancock County Public Library gently encouraged voters to kill two birds with one stone Tuesday morning. As long as they’d made the trip to the library to cast their ballots, why not sign up for a library card, too?
– Jan Roberts, wife to Hancock County Council candidate Dave Roberts, opted for a quick wardrobe change midday Tuesday after the weather proved uncooperative; she had to run home for a heavier coat while stumping for her husband in New Palestine.
– Not everyone who turned out to vote Tuesday was thrilled with their choices — but that didn’t stop them from exercising their rights. Remarked one voter: sometimes, election season is like picking your poison.
– When a senior citizen tripped as she made her way to the Hancock County Courthouse Annex to vote, campaign supporters threw their differences aside. A woman wearing a sweatshirt showing support for Brad Armstrong and a man in a Matt Holland T-shirt rushed to the senior citizen’s side. A crowd of passersby helped get her back on her feet.
– At Cross of Grace Church in New Palestine, church leaders welcomed the bustling crowds with a spread of cookies, pastries and lemonade for voters, a welcome refreshment for those who had to wait at least an hour in some cases to cast a ballot.
– Dennis Smith of Fortville braved lines stretching out the door at the Fortville Community Center. Smith originally planned to cast his ballot at 6 a.m. but left and came back at noon because of the long lines. Wrong choice — he was greeted by the lunch crowd. “I just wanted to make sure I got my vote in,” Smith said. “They all count.”
