Hats off to people who organized the election

The County Line

Almost going unnoticed in all this week’s election excitement was the role of the Hamilton County elections office and the hundreds of workers in the precincts. They did an admirable job of tallying the incredible 200,000 votes cast before and during Election Day.

County Clerk Kathy Williams, Elections Administrator Beth Sheller and their staff not only had to get the votes counted, but had to oversee the staffing of 221 precincts and make sure that hundreds of voting machines were placed and operating properly.

Elections today are not simple and not inexpensive. The total cost has not yet been calculated, but whatever the cost, it is worth it to enable county voters to easily participate in this basic American right.

Tuesday’s election was the biggest in county history by far and presented a real challenge for a county that has never before been considered a major center of political importance.

But with 200,000 voters participating, second largest in Indiana, you can bet Hamilton County will attract a lot of attention in future elections both statewide and nationally when candidates and news media are looking for places where contests are decided.

In the meantime, congratulations to the folks who made Election Day efficient and successful in Hamilton County.