11:15 p.m. Votes, school board races outcomes are in

When the vote count for Wayne County came in at 10:39 p.m. there were few surprises, in part because of the small number of contested races.

Clerk Debbie Berry said Wayne County had good voter turnout with a lot of absentee ballots that took a long time to count. Election personnel were still on site after 11 p.m., sending data to state officials. “It was a busy, busy day,” Berry said. Vote center staff were due at 5 a.m. before polls were open from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Processing the votes took more time than election officials thought it would.

These Republican candidates effectively won or were reelected to their offices way back in the spring primary because the Wayne County Democratic Party did not field opposing candidates. Today’s general election result removes that “expected to win” status:

  • Ronald J. (Ron) Moore, Judge of Superior Court District 1
  • Tara Pegg, Clerk of Circuit Court
  • Beth Fields, County Treasurer
  • Robert Brent Meadows, County Coroner
  • Gordon Moore, County Surveyor
  • Aaron Roberts, County Commissioner — District 2
  • Jeff Plasterer, County Commissioner — District 3
  • Gerald (Gary) Saunders, County Council At-Large 
  • Max A. Smith, County Council At-Large
  • Cathy C. Williams, County Council At-Large

Meadows got an even bigger head start, becoming coroner on Sept. 7 in a caucus vote following the resignation of Kevin Fouche before the end of his term.

Five school districts will have newly elected board members following today’s non-partisan elections.

In the Centerville-Abington school district, Andy Wandersee (District A), Renee J. Westover (District B) and M. Todd Duke (District C) will serve after running uncontested.

In Richmond, Nicole Stults (District 1), Austin Brann (District 2), Cathy Hillard and Aaron Stevens (both At-Large) won their seats after running uncontested.

In the Nettle Creek school district, Mike Banning (District C), Ruthie Lamar and Sandra Schraub (both At-Large) will serve after running uncontested. Julie Blaase beat Candace M. Tramel for the District A seat with over 69% of the vote.

For the Northeastern school board, Dan VanDuyne (District C) and Shawntel R. Baker (District D) won their uncontested races. Angela G. Smith won over Patrick Barker for the District B seat, with 55% of the vote.

In the Western Wayne school district, David Sturgis (District A) and Kris Bex (District B) won their seats in uncontested races. In the District D race, Jenni Risch won over Todd A. Patterson with almost 67% of the vote.

In the unofficial results posted on the county clerk’s website, the report header indicates that 25,779 ballots were cast and that 13 of 14 polling places were reporting. WWN asked Berry about the missing item, and she said it is related to outstanding military ballots.

More than 16,000 ballots were cast through early in-person voting and couldn’t be counted before 6 a.m. Tuesday. “We thought we were breaking records, but we weren’t,” Berry said. There was nothing mind-boggling in terms of logistics for this election, she said.

Fortunately, Berry said good people came in and helped count the ballots. She also said she appreciated cooperation from community partners such as the post office, which sent over more ballots to be counted after Berry had made a trip to pick up the final batch around 1 p.m. Tuesday.

9:36 p.m. Still waiting…

The latest unofficial word is that it may be around 11 p.m. before local vote counts are available from the Wayne County Clerk’s office. This is a change from earlier predictions, but we are not aware of any reports of problems, just a longer than usual process for making sure all votes are counted.

We’ll continue to post updates — and hopefully results — as soon as we have them.

9:13 p.m. Plasterer, Roberts reflect on expected Commissioner wins

Jeff Plasterer, Wayne County Board of Commissioners District 3

Jeff Plasterer is in his second year serving as president of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, and — unopposed in the primary and general elections — he is expected to win a second term representing District 3, the western portion of Wayne County.

Plasterer said planning is a priority moving forward. And not just within county government, but including the county’s other entities, much like collaboration developing the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program. About $75,000 has been put together working with the Wayne County Foundation and Forward Wayne County to hire a consulting firm.

The process will develop an individual plan for each participating entity. It will prioritize projects and define opportunities for collaboration. “We’ll talk through how we can work together, and it’s an opportunity to look for money to complete those projects, too,” Plasterer said.

He refers to commissioners and Wayne County Council as a “team of 10″ that works together to govern the county. The only new member of that team will be Aaron Roberts, who is expected to be elected to replace Mary Anne Butters as commissioner from District 2.

“It’s another opportunity to have some new ideas,” said Plasterer of Roberts, whom he’s known for more than two decades. “He brings a new set of strengths to the group.”

Aaron Roberts, Wayne County Board of Commissioners District 2

When Aaron Roberts decided to run for the Wayne County Board of Commissioners, he committed himself to learning about the issues facing commissioners. In fact, he considers it his responsibility to the voters.

Roberts has done that by attending most meetings of Wayne County Council and commissioners. Roberts said it was especially important to follow the 2025 budgeting process, because that’s the budget that he’ll work with next year.

“There’s still a learning curve, but I’m up to date on the issues,” said Roberts, who will replace Mary Anne Butters after she opted not to run for a fourth term.

Running unopposed in the general election also enabled Roberts to focus on his learning rather than on campaigning.

“I’ve been able to focus on the job and what’s going on,” Roberts said. “I’ve been able to do that, and I feel like I’ll hit the ground running in January.”

Roberts expects he’ll learn even more before Jan. 1 when he’s officially the commissioner-elect. He has meetings scheduled with Butters for her to share with him things she finds important.

Roberts will be the only new member of commissioners or county council. He knew all of the other commissioners and council members before running and said he has good relationships with them.

“I think I’ll fit in real well with the group,” Roberts said.

8:59 p.m. Saunders, Williams, Smith share re-election thoughts

Gary Saunders, County Council At-Large
Saunders said running unopposed was a bit frustrating, but acknowledged it’s also nice not to have to spend a lot of money campaigning. “You feel the need to do some things to let people know you’re interested in the job since your name’s on the ballot,” Saunders said.

He put out about 30 yard signs around the county. “I’m not a politician — I consider myself a servant of the people,” Saunders said.

Saunders is no stranger to government. He’ll be starting his sixth term on county council, and previously served as township trustee for 32 years.

Despite his years of experience, council faces ongoing and new challenges. One of those difficult tasks is keeping a balanced budget when the county is required to provide certain services and facilities and many people want property taxes to be cut.

Saunders said the county will receive less gasoline tax as electric vehicles become more common at a time when it costs more for road upkeep.

Cathy C. Williams, County Council At-Large

Williams, who will start her second term on council, said it was “wonderful” not to face an opponent this fall. 

Before joining council, Williams served as county treasurer. She has a new perspective on the county’s finances because council has more control over the county’s purse strings than she did in her previous role. 

Williams said when she didn’t get the funding she wanted for her department, she would wonder why. Now she understands more about the enormity of those asks. 

“It may seem like a small thing to you, but it may be a big thing in the overall scheme for the county,” Williams said. 

Williams has become active in several community initiatives during her first council term. Councilors serve as liaison to or are members of various boards and committees.

Max Smith, County Council At-Large

Smith also is starting his second term on council. He previously served as county commissioner from 1985 until 2000. “There are two ways to run for office — scared or unopposed — and it’s much better to be unopposed,” Smith said. 

He said it’s good to know that people aren’t upset about his service, so this election required less time, money and stress. He’s looking forward to continuing good things currently going on in the county. 

One of those priorities is doing the best it can for county workers. “We have a good set of employees and it’s important to keep them and keep them happy because that’s important for things to run right,” Smith said. 

Keeping the county in a good financial position is also important because not every county or community is in good fiscal condition. However, that responsibility comes with its own challenges. “It means we can’t do everything people want done or the way they want it done,” Smith said. 

Smith said the county and east central Indiana need to continue attracting employees, good companies and high-paying jobs. One way to do that, he believes, is to expand the local housing inventory so workers want to live in Wayne County rather than drive in from other areas. 

Smith said the new apartments to be built on the former Elder-Beerman store site in downtown Richmond are a big step in that direction, but he knows individual family homes and more apartments are also needed. 

One current project in the works Smith is proud of is improving emergency communications equipment to eliminate dead spots, especially in northeast and southwest portions of the county. Without American Rescue Plan Act funding, the county might need to secure bonds or other financing, Smith said.   

8:39 p.m. Moore, Fields anticipate election wins

Ron Moore, Superior Court 1 judge

Without a general election opponent for Superior Court 1 judge, local attorney Ron Moore has been freed to begin preparations to take the bench Jan. 1 by taking courses through the National Judicial College.

Moore said he’ll be well-prepared to “hit the ground running.” The courses cover material he already knows, but deliver the information from the different perspective of a judge, rather than an attorney. “The law is not the intimidating portion of the job,” Moore said. “The friction is the administration and making sure things run smoothly.”

Judge Charles Todd Jr. decided to retire rather than run for another six-year term. Moore said he will now have an opportunity to spend time with Todd and in the court office to get a handle on the position’s administrative aspects. From there, he’ll find his own courtroom style.

“I’m just honored the public elected me,” Moore said, “and I’m going to work hard.”

Beth Fields, treasurer

Beth Fields appreciates voters electing her treasurer to replace Nancy Funk.

“It will be an honor to be an elected official,” said Fields, who is in her second year as community coordinator for the county’s Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program after years working in the commissioners’ office.

By running unopposed this fall after her Republican primary victory, Fields has had the chance to speak with Funk about the treasurer’s job. She hopes there’s “wiggle room” to spend time in the treasurer’s office and with the treasurer’s staff. There are some once-a-year elements of the job that Fields would like to experience.

“I have a lot to learn,” said Fields, who expects her knowledge of government and the relationships between offices to be a strength.

By running for office, Fields did learn that, as scary as it was, she enjoyed the challenge.

8:20 p.m. Votes still being counted

We are hearing unofficially that a local vote count is expected to be available in the next 20 to 40 minutes. But as always, it could be sooner and it could be later, so our team is standing by to report the results whenever they are available.

In recent election years, the Wayne County Clerk’s office has been able to provide results in two batches, first the early voting results and then the total results including both early voting and election day. But with recent changes to how votes are recorded and counted, processing of most early voting ballots could not start until today.

6 p.m.: Voting ends, watch live coverage

Voting centers are closed and the votes are being counted. We’ll post local election results here as soon as they’re available.

You can also follow live coverage from Whitewater Community Television on Viebit’s WGTV channel or on Facebook.

For statewide results and to see how Indiana voted in national races, you can view live election results from Indiana Citizen or Indiana Capital Chronicle.

2:15 p.m.: Hagerstown voting photos

WWN photographer Joshua Smith captured these photos of voting underway at New Testament Church in Hagerstown.

1:45 p.m.:  Wayne County’s election ‘going smoothly,’ official says

More than halfway through the voting day, Wayne County election officials say everything is going smoothly.

Just after 1 p.m. Tuesday, Tara Pegg, Wayne County voter registration supervisor, said election workers are staying busy as they process ballots at the courthouse.

At that time, Clerk Debbie Berry was on her way back from Richmond’s post office, where she was collecting the last batch of absentee ballots that had been sent via mail.

Berry told Western Wayne News on Monday afternoon that more than 16,000 in-person ballots were cast early at vote centers or in the courthouse, in addition to a currently unknown number of ballots that have been returned via mail in recent weeks.

Each of those ballots must be removed from its envelope and then scanned in groups. Election workers follow an assembly line process to open the envelopes, stack the paper ballots and scan them. Berry said voters’ privacy remains intact as the person opening envelopes doesn’t see who the voter chose.

Pegg was aware of only one “little glitch” so far on Tuesday, which was a paper jam at Golay Community Center in Cambridge City. She said it was resolved very quickly.

Pegg won the May primary election to replace Berry as clerk starting in January, and faced no opposition in the general election. Berry could not run again because of term limits.

10 a.m.: “It was quick”

Voting was steady through the first three-and-a-half hours Tuesday morning at First Baptist Church in Richmond.

More than 200 voters had cast ballots by 9:30 a.m. At about 9:15 a.m., the line to check in numbered about a half-dozen, with eight more voters filling out their ballots. It took less than 20 minutes to check in, have a ballot printed, fill in the ballot and scan it.

Stephanie McCoy of Richmond said the voting was easy. “It was quick,” she said. “I took my time reading through the options.” McCoy, who was voting for the second time, said she was too busy to vote early.

“I thought that I should’ve voted early, but it was easy,” she said.

9:30 a.m.: Minimal lines and a smooth voting process

People visiting First English Lutheran Church in Richmond to vote this morning experienced little to no wait, despite an apparent heavier than usual turnout in the election.

Voters check in to vote at First English Lutheran Church in Richmond on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Photo by Chris Hardie

Stephanie Strait, a poll worker helping voters check in, said there were a few lines first thing but that otherwise things have been moving right along.

Voters Jerry and Celya Meyer said they come out to vote in every election, and chose First English Lutheran because they live nearby. Jerry said they were a little worried about lines and came prepared to stand for a while, so they were glad to hear they could get right in.

While Jerry plans to stay up watching election results, Celya isn’t sure she will.

Voters vote at First English Lutheran Church in Richmond on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Photo by Chris Hardie

Dixie Armstrong, who along with her husband Rick has worked in local elections for many years, said just like last week’s early voting, things have gone smoothly. She’s seen more young people showing up today who have never voted before.

While some come expecting electronic voting machines and are surprised at the paper ballots they have to mark, everyone has figured out the system quickly. Armstrong said they only had to replace approximately eight spoiled ballots at her location in early voting last week.

Voters check in to vote at First English Lutheran Church in Richmond on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Photo by Chris Hardie

Armstrong said she arrived very early to get ready for the 6 a.m. voting start and expects to be at First English until at least 7 p.m. She said her team of poll workers is great, but that as an election inspector, she’s also “not afraid to give orders” to make sure everything is done right.

Photos by Chris Hardie

5:30 a.m.: More than 1/3 of Wayne County voters already have cast ballots

Before the polls open at 6 a.m. at Wayne County’s eight vote centers, more than one-third of the county’s eligible voters have already cast their ballots in person.

As of Saturday afternoon, 15,736 voters had put pen to paper, and between 8:30 a.m. and noon Monday, 292 more had fulfilled their civic duty.

That’s a total of 16,028 in-person voters. The number combines those who went to the courthouse on weekdays, the two vote sites open on two Saturdays, the four vote centers last week across the county, and the final Monday morning at the courthouse.

The 16,028 voters mentioned do not include the absentee or military votes that are arriving via mail.

Wayne County has approximately 45,000 registered voters.

Wayne County Clerk Debbie Berry said voters stood in line on Monday morning at the courthouse to cast their ballots in the final 3 1/2 hours before Election Day. She said that was a lot of voters compared to what they’re used to seeing at the courthouse.

Election staff and poll workers already put in a long week last week to set up, operate and tear down vote center equipment.

Berry is hopeful that voters will be patient even if there are lines on Tuesday to cast their ballots in what she calls “an important election.”

First English Lutheran Church often has the highest turnout, while voters often quickly enter sites such as First Baptist Church, 1601 S. A St., and Mount Olive Baptist Church, 1108 N. H St., both in Richmond.

Wayne County generally has much shorter lines than large cities, where voters sometimes wait hours to cast their ballots.

Adding to the challenge of serving voters, Berry said several poll workers have called in sick, with many of those calls coming Monday. Available alternates are being scheduled.

Fortunately, Berry said Wayne County’s voters are generally very kind and “have some Hoosier blood in them,” noting Indiana’s reputation for “Hoosier Hospitality.”

Where to vote

A total of eight vote centers around the county will be open from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5:

First Bank Kuhlman Center
861 N. Salisbury Rd
Richmond, IN 47374

First English Lutheran Church
2727 East Main Street
Richmond, IN 47374

Golay Center
1007 East Main St.
Cambridge City, IN 47327

Hagerstown New Testament Church
752 W. Main St.
Hagerstown, IN 47346

Mt. Olive Baptist Church
1108 N H Street
Richmond, IN 47374

Lifespring North Church
5600 US Highway 27 North
Richmond, IN 47374

First Baptist Church
1601 South A Street
Richmond, IN 47374

Centerville Christian Church Family Center
106 E. Main St.
Centerville, IN 47330

When going to the polls, Indiana voters must show a government-issued photo ID to cast their ballot. 

Driver’s licenses and IDs that expired after the last general election may be used as proof of ID for voting. 

For more information, call 765-973-9304.

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