After two weeks with the traveling voting center moving around the county and long lines waiting to vote at the deadline of 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Election Day in Switzerland County mirrored the rest of the nation as near record numbers of voters went to the polls.
As the polling location in Vevay at the new Technology and Education Center closed on Tuesday, a total of 1,010 citizens had cast their ballots that day. Coupled with that, a total of 2,537 voters chose to go to one of the traveling voting centers during the past two weeks, or to vote by absentee or in the courthouse.
Of the 6.994 registered voters in Switzerland County, 3,547 voted – that’s 50.71-percent of eligible voters.
The highest percentage of turnout in the county was in Craig I precinct, where 58.31-percent (179 of 307) voted. That was followed by Pleasant I with 55.77-percent (145 of 260); Craig II with 55.72-percent (185 of 332); Cotton II with 55.26-percent (210 of 380); and Pleasant II had a turnout of 54.28-percent (330 of 608).
Posey II had a voter turnout of 53.59-percent (321 of 599); Jefferson II had a turnout of 53.30-percent (558 of 1,047); Jefferson III had 52.62-percent (301 of 572); York had 50.14-percent (366 of 730); Jefferson I had 49.88-percent (401 of 804); Cotton I had 41.14-percent (332 of 807); and Posey I had 39.96-percent (219 of 548).
In a sign the party politics may be fading away, the county was split on who carried the majorities at the national, state, and local levels.
Nationally, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney carried the county, garnering 54-96-percent of the vote; while President Barack Obama carried 42.19-percent of the vote. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson received 2.58-percent of the vote here.
That carried in Indiana, where Mitt Romney easily won the state; but it didn’t hold nationally, as Barack Obama was elected to a second term.
In the race for the U.S. Senate seat in Indiana, in Switzerland County Republican Richard Mourdock won with 48-percent of the vote, while Democrat Joe Donnelly got 46.63-percent of the vote and Libertarian candidate Andrew Horning received 5.34-percent of the vote.
Again that win here did not hold up across the state, as Joe Donnelly won election to replace longtime Senator Richard Lugar.
The other national race did hold here, as Republican Luke Messer won the Sixth District seat from Indiana in the U.S. Congress over Democratic challenger Bradley Bookout. Luke Messer won the county with 52.20-percent of the vote; while Bradley Bookout received 43.11-percent of the ballots and Libertarian Rex Bell got 4.69-percent of the vote.
All of the statewide races did hold true.
In the race to be Indiana’s next Governor, Republican Mike Pence defeated Democrat John Gregg here by a 50.73-percent to 45.34-percent margin; and Libertarian Rupert Boneham, who has ties to Switzerland County, earned 3.93-percent of the vote.
Statewide, Mike Pence was elected Governor.
In the Attorney General’s race, incumbent Republican Greg Zoeller earned 52.68-percent of the vote here to defeat Democrat Kay Fleming, who got 47.32-percent of the vote. Greg Zoeller was elected to another term statewide.
In the biggest upset in the statewide election, Democrat challenger Glenda Ritz defeated Republican incumbent Tony Bennett for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction post.
Here in Switzerland County, Glenda Ritz earned 54.76-percent of the vote; while Tony Bennett got 45.24-percent of the vote. She made that advantage hold up statewide.
Switzerland County is now in the 67th District for the Indiana House of Representatives; and on Tuesday incumbent Republican Randy Frye was reelected, defeating Democrat Tom Cheek.
Here in the county vote, Randy Frye got 50.80-percent of the vote; while Tom Cheek got 49.20-percent of the vote.