The fall ballot is set, and the county is gearing up for an election like it has never seen before.
There are 10 contested local, state and national races on Johnson County ballots for the upcoming presidential election Nov. 3. Additionally, there are 14 school board seats up for grabs in the county’s six public school districts.
State election officials and Gov. Eric Holcomb have decided they will not allow no-excuse mail-in voting, as they did via executive order during the postponed primary election in the spring due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Still, Johnson County has already received 5,331 absentee ballot requests as of Tuesday, significantly more than usual, said Trena McLaughlin, county clerk.
Local election officials have said they anticipate the general election to break turnout records, even amid the ongoing pandemic. During the primary, 10,377 voters cast ballots by mail — compared to about 1,000 or less typically — and 12,360 voted in person.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryAlmost all of the contested races are at the national and state levels. The only contested local partisan race is for an at-large seat on the Johnson County Council. Three Republican candidates — Ron Deer, Melinda Griesemer and John Myers — will face Democrat Amanda Stevenson-Holmes for the spot. Stevenson-Holmes is the only Democrat running for a county office.
Voters are tasked with choosing who they want to lead the country for the next four years. Republican President Donald Trump will face Democrat Joe Biden and Independent Jo Jorgensen for the commander-in-chief position.
U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth is on the ballot for a third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Indiana’s Ninth District, which encompasses Johnson County, along with Bloomington and areas along the Kentucky border. He will face Democrat Andy Ruff, of Bloomington, and Independent Tonya Mills.
At the state level, Hoosiers will elect a new attorney general. Republican Todd Rokita was chosen by the state GOP to take Attorney General Curtis Hill’s spot on the ballot. Hill faced controversy after he allegedly groped four women at a bar in Indianapolis, resulting in a temporary suspension of his law license. Rokita will face Democrat Jonathan Weinzapfel in November.
Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb is running for a second term against Democrat Dr. Woody Myers.
Six local Indiana Statehouse seats are up for grabs this year, and all are contested except for Republican Rep. John Young’s seat, which represents Franklin.
Four newcomers will go head-to-head for two seats in the Indiana House. Republican Michelle Davis will face Democrat Cindy Reinert for retiring Rep. Woody Burton’s long-held District 58 seat to represent parts of Greenwood, Whiteland and New Whiteland. Republican John Jacob won his party’s ticket in a narrow primary race against incumbent Rep. Dollyne Sherman for the District 93 seat, which represents parts of Greenwood and the southside of Indianapolis. Jacob will face Democrat Angela Elliott.
And 18 candidates are on the ballot for the county’s 14 non-partisan school board spots.
Seats on the ballot include: Center Grove School Board, two at-large; Clark-Pleasant School Board, one Pleasant Township and one at-large; Edinburgh School Board, two at-large; Franklin Community School Board, two city of Franklin, one Franklin Township; Greenwood Community School Board, district one and district three; Nineveh-Hensley-Jackson School Board, two at-large and one from Nineveh Township.
There are contested school board races in Center Grove, Clark-Pleasant, Edinburgh and Franklin schools.
The county plans to operate 22 vote centers on Election Day, more than double what was available on Election Day during the primary, and two more than on Election Day during the 2016 general election. In-person early voting will also be available for up to 30 days before the election.
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Here is a look at the races that are on local ballots for the fall general election:
President
Joseph R. Biden (D)
Jo Jorgensen (I)
Donald J. Trump (R)
Indiana Governor
Eric Holcomb (R)
Dr. Woodrow Myers (D)
Donald G. Rainwater II (I)
Indiana Attorney General
Todd Rokita (R)
Jonathan Weinzapfel (D)
U.S. Representative Indiana District 9
Trey Hollingsworth (R)
Tonya L. Mills (I)
Andy Ruff (D)
State Senator District 36
Ashley Eason (D)
Jack E. Sandlin (R)
State Senator District 37
Rodric D. Bray (R)
Tom Wallace (D)
State Representative District 58
Michelle Davis (R)
Cindy Reinert (D)
State Representative District 65
Chris May (R)
Paula Staley (D)
State Representative District 93
Angela Elliott (D)
John Jacob (R)
Johnson County Council At-Large
Ron Deer (R)
Melinda K. Griesemer (R)
John Myers (R)
Amanda Stevenson-Holmes (D)
Center Grove School Board At-Large (2 seats)
Amy Counts
Rob Daniels
Britton C. Shoellhorn
Clark-Pleasant School Board At-Large (1 seat)
Tony Schantz
Vernon (Butch) Zike Jr.
Clark-Pleasant School Board Pleasant Township (1 seat)
Justin Kloer
David R. Thompson
Edinburgh School Board At-Large (2 seats)
Ryan Blaker
Cathy J. Hamm
Curtis Rooks
Franklin School Board City of Franklin (1 seat)
Kristine Ott
Bryan Wertz
Source: Johnson County Voter Registration
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