TheStatehouseFile.com

Midterm elections typically have lower voter turnouts and Tuesday isn’t likely to break the trend.

In fact, University of Evansville political science professor Robert Dion said the numbers could be even smaller than in the past because there are few prominent races on the ballot in Indiana.“Typical things that drive voter turnout up are not present in this cycle,” Dion said. “You have the absence of a presidential race. There are also no senate races this year.”

The top of the Indiana ticket on Tuesday will be the secretary of state’s race and congressional contests, all of which are expected to go to the incumbents.

Dion also said competitive races also can drive up voter participation. But that’s not happening this year either – at least not statewide.

“There are not a lot of high profile, hotly contested races that might increase voter turnout,” Dion said.

Four years ago – the last midterm election – about 41 percent of Indiana’s registered voters showed up at the polls or cast an absentee ballot. In 2006, it was 40 percent.

Dion is predicting voter turnout will be in the 30 percent range this year.

But some county clerks are more optimistic.

Shelby County Clerk Vicki Franklin said good early voting numbers could predict a good turnout.

“Early voting has gone very, very well. Our numbers are up from the spring,” said Franklin.

More than 1,000 people have voted early in the office, she said, about 300 more absentee ballots are expected.

Franklin said voter turnout locally will be decent because of several local races – including the battle for seats on the Shelby Eastern School Board.

Jefferson County Clerk Karen Mannix is also optimistic about the percentage of people voting in the midterm elections. About 10 percent of registered voters have already voted by absentee ballot and by mail.

“We hope to have 50 percent of voters (participate),” Mannix said. “We average about 40 percent (during midterm elections). I can’t say we will do better than that because we don’t have a referendum, but we will see.”

Dion said low turnouts show that voters aren’t taking advantage of an important societal role.

“This is unfortunate and too bad, really, because voting matters and elections are important,” Dion said. “Decisions will be made that will affect each person. In the best of both worlds, we’d have everyone come out.”

Hannah Troyer is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Running for Congress can be expensive – although with few competitive races in Indiana this year, the campaign finance numbers trail those from past years. As the 2014 election season enters its final hours, reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show that Hoosier congressional campaigns have raised nearly $13.5 million – $10.6 million by Republican candidates, $2.9 million by Democratic candidates, and just less than $10,000 by other parties’ candidates.

The numbers don’t include fundraising in the campaigns’ final days or spending by outside organizations.

The totals are about 23 percent less than they were just two years ago and about 38 percent less than four years ago during the last midterm election. At that time, a number of competitive races drove up spending.

This year, there are fewer hotly contested races. The Cook Political Reports lists every Indiana district as solidly Republican or solidly Democratic in favor of the incumbent. Still, the state’s most expensive congressional race is probably its most competitive.

In Northern Indiana’s 2^nd District, incumbent Republican Rep. Jackie Walorski raised more than $1.9 million. Meanwhile, her opponent, Democrat Joseph Bock, raised $773,940 – making him the only congressional challenger in Indiana to reach six figures this year.

Bock is a Notre Dame professor who has been heavily critical of Congress and says the socially and fiscally conservative Walorski – a former state lawmaker – is part of the problem. “Washington isn’t getting the job done,” Bock says in a television ad. “You deserve a member of Congress who will.”

Walorski has fought back with messages that she has worked with Democrats to protect women in the military who are victims of sexual assault and supported the Violence Against Women Act.

And despite Bock’s battle to unseat Walorski, experts are predicting a victory for the Republican. The Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics calls the race likely Republican and the Cook Political Report calls it solidly Republican.

In Southern Indiana, incumbent Rep. Todd Young, the Republican representing the state’s 9^thDistrict, set the high-water mark for fundraising among the state’s congressional candidates. Young has raised more than $2 million, while his Democratic challenger, Bill Bailey, raised just less than $100,000.

All but one of the state’s congressional incumbents raised more than $1 million. The lone exception is Rep. Peter Visclosky in the 1^st District, located in the heavily Democratic northwest corner of Indiana. Visclosky, has collected more than $842,000. His challenger, Republican Mark Leyva, has raised a little more than $12,000.

In the northeast corner of Indiana is the 3^rd District. The incumbent, Republican Marlin Stutzman, has raised $1.3 million. His challenger, Democrat Justin Kuhnle, has raised $816.

In Indiana’s 4th District, incumbent, Republican Todd Rokita has raised nearly $1.4 million. His challenger, Democrat John Dale, has raised more than $42,000.

In the 5^th District, incumbent Rep. Susan Brooks, a Republican, has raised more than $1.6 million. Her challenger, Democrat Shawn Denney, has raised nearly $4,000.

Indiana’s 6^th District incumbent Rep. Luke Messer, a Republican, has brought in nearly $1.2 million. His challenger, Democrat Susan Heitzman, has collected just more than $2,500.

In the greater Indianapolis area, which is Indiana’s 7th District, incumbent Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat, has raised just more than $1 million, while his Republican challenger Catherine Ping has raised less than $5,000.

Indiana’s 8^th District incumbent, Republican Larry Bucshon, raised a little more than $1 million. His challenger, Democrat Tom Spangler, raised nearly $25,000.

Garrett Day is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.