With an early voting count of 2,765 votes, Muncie residents and the Ball State community have until 6 p.m. today to participate and have a say in the municipal elections.
The Delaware County Elections Office received 983 walk-in votes, 470 travel board votes and 1,312 mailed-in votes by Monday at noon, when they closed early voting.
University Democrats and College Republicans have been encouraging students on campus to register and vote. Steven Walsh, communications director for University Democrats, said the organization registered about 400 students for the municipal elections this semester.
Holly Gillham, president for College Republicans said there is no accurate number of students registered to vote, but this semester College Republicans encouraged students to register online through www.indianavoters.com.
Both organizations also have worked with local candidates to bring political awareness to campus. College Republicans brought mayor Sharon McShurley and Republican city council candidates to campus throughout the semester. University Democrats also brought Dennis Tyler last week to talk with students.
"We had some really interesting meetings this semester informing people," Gillham said. "We had the mayor in our call-out meeting. We had a panel, with all our city council candidates. We had representatives from the Muncie city judge campaign also."
College Republicans and University Democrats will also be working on encouraging students to vote. Walsh said members of the University Democrats will be canvassing to get more students to vote. Later in the evening, the student organization will meet at the Delaware County Democratic Headquarters as the results come in.
Gillham said she will be in the Delaware County Republican Party Headquarters calling residents to find out if they have voted. Other College Republicans members will stand outside some voting polls to inform residents about the Republican candidates.
Later in the evening, some members will join the Delaware County Republican Party at their watch party.
Delaware County clerk Steven Craycraft said he expects voter turnout in the elections today to be bigger than in the primary elections earlier this year. There were 9,962 voters counted in the primaries and Craycraft said he expects about 18,000 people to vote today.
"You always have a larger number in the general elections," he said. "A lot of people don't vote on the primaries because they have to pick a party, and so you have people who don't want to say what party they belong to."
Poll sites will be open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. at more than 50 precincts throughout the county. For students registered to vote living on campus, the poll site will be at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center.
Voters are expected to bring their photo ID to their respective polling sites. Craycraft said he is not expecting any technical issues with voters using the electronic voting equipment.
"We've voted with electronic machines before, and this will be our sixth election cycle with them," he said. "I think people are used to using those."
Craycraft said the number of early voters may or may not impact the final results, but it varies in each election.
"Each party gets their people to come to vote early, mostly the people who would not go to the polls, so people were trying to get them to vote by mail," he said.
Walsh said he thinks it is the students' responsibility to be more engaged in local politics.
"Muncie is part of Ball State, and to become informed on local issues is a lot easier than you think," he said.
Gillham said besides voting being a civic duty, students should think about how local politics affect them by stepping outside the campus and exploring the community.
"Evermore so, I think students are venturing off campus," Gillham said. "Ball State is becoming a part of the larger Muncie community. If you are going to be out in the community, you might as well have a say on the direction of the community."
2011 Municipal General Election Ballot
Mayor
Sharon McShurley - Republican
Dennis Tyler - Democrat
City Court Clerk
Lori Quakenbush Jessee - Republican
Phyllis Reagon - Democrat
City Court Judge
William G. Bruns - Republican
Dianna Lynn Bennington - Democrat
Muncie City Council At-Large -- Vote for 3
Murray Bartholome - Republican
Gavin Greene - Republican
Kathie Onieal - Republican
Nora Evans Powell - Democrat
Linda Gregory - Democrat
Alison P. Quirk - Democrat
Muncie City Council District #1
No Republican candidate filed
Doug A. Marshall - Democrat
Muncie City Council District #2
Mark Conatser - Republican
No Democrat candidate filed
Muncie City Council District #3
Joseph King - Republican
Mary Jo Barton - Democrat
Muncie City Council District #4
Bradley Polk - Republican
No Democrat candidate filed
Muncie City Council District #5
Jim Arnold - Republican
Jerry D. Dishman - Democrat
Muncie City Council District #6
Beth Y. Quarles - Republican
Julius J. Anderson - Democrat
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