Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
While most of America ignored the election Tuesday, Kosciusko County voters turned out in suprisingly large numbers.
In contrast to national trends that suggest turnout was less than 50 percent of registered voters, three out of every four registered voters in Kosciusko County cast ballots in another overwhelmingly Republican showing.
Eagerness to vote apparently caused election workers some trouble along the way.
At least two polling places - one in Silver Lake and one in Warsaw - temporarily ran out of ballots, according to poll observers.
County clerk Marsha McSherry said she knew of other places that were close to running out.
And in Milford, results from the Van Buren Township polling place were delayed nearly three hours because about 80 people who stood in line as the 6 p.m. deadline passed had only two ballot machines to use. According to one poll worker, some of those in line walked out.
On top of that, ballots for Wawasee school board - more than 3,000 - had to be counted by hand. That kept election workers at the Kosciusko County Justice Building until after midnight.
The biggest turnouts at polling places included Warsaw Precinct 3, Ward 1 (85.09 percent), Wayne 10 (82.65 percent), Plain 1 (82.41 percent) and Monroe (81.93 percent).
Some of the lowest turnouts were seen in Warsaw 2, Ward 1 (59.4 percent), Warsaw 2, Ward 2 (60.95 percent) and Warsaw 5, Ward 1 (63.51 percent).
The turnout turned out to be glorious for Republicans and disastrous for Democrats. Consider the following:
• Only 25 percent of local voters supported President Clinton in his re-election bid.
• Kosciusko County Republicans swept all local races.
• The strongest showing for a Democrat in Kosciusko County was incumbent Rep. Tim Roemer, who got 39 percent of the vote en route to defeating Joe Zakas in a race for the 3rd District.
McSherry said delivery of about 1,500 absentee ballots went smoothly despite last-minute changes that occurred after Democrat county chairman Steve Haines objected to having sheriff's deputies deliver the ballots.
Party leaders lined up party workers to deliver the ballots instead.
"The people that came in did a good job," she said.
