The 2020 Election on News 10 First at Five

There's "1"-hour left to vote "in indiana".

And..

"eyes" will be "on vigo county"..

As "the votes" are counted "tonight".

///// good afternoon to you.

I'm susan dinkel.

It's "election day"..

Tuesday, november 3rd.

////// "our team coverage" "of campaign 20-20" continues for you at this hour.

We're *live*..

As voting hours..

"wind down".

And..

We're looking at "a historic streak on the line" in vigo county.

Plus..

We're following concerns in the region..

About unrest "on this election day".

First..

As "voting" is winding down.... let's take you..

To one of "the many voting locations" "in vigo county".

News 10's "sarah lehman"..

Leads "our team coverage"..

Wit an update "from the polls".

////// susie... polls close in a little less than hour here in indiana.

*describe scene* voting centers in indiana close at 6 eastern... illinois voting centers close at 7 central time.

We're looking at record breaking voter turn out across the wabash valley!

Vigo county clerk brad newman told me early voting numbers in vigo county... totaled about 35 thousand votes.

Newman told me he believes we will see 10 to 15 thousand more votes today!

He says today -- is going to be all about patience.

He doesn't think they will have first numbers until -- at the earliest -- 8:30 or 9 oclock tonight.

Because he says he's expecting around 50 thousand votes in vigo county.

A number he says this county has never seen.

//////// "if we reach those kinds of numbers i've never even heard of that here.

I've heard of some big numbers but i've never heard i mean i think we're tracking all time record."

///////// again -- polls here in vigo county are open until 6 tonight.

Even if you are still standing in line at 6 p.m.

You can still vote!

Reporting live in vigo county i'm sarah lehman news 10.

Back to you.

////////// "a non-partisan election protection tool" is available "for you".

"if" you have any difficulties voting..

Or, still need information..

You can call "the hotline".

That telephone number... 8-6-6-our-vote.

Which is..

866-687-8683... "the group"..

Is made-up of "100"-local, state and national partners..

Who work *year-roun* "to protect voting rights".

It's possible that "tallying results" will take a while "statewide" and "nationally".

So, here's "a quick look"..

At how "some of the night"..

Will play-out.

"the 1st polls" close at "6"-o'clock "eastern time" in most of indiana and kentucky.

"the last polls"..

In alaska..

Shut down at "1" a-m "eastern time" tomorrow morning in some states..

"ballot counting" started today.

However..

"28"-states allow counting to begin *before* election day.

"c-b-s news" points out..

That "the tallying in many states" will extend *beyond* election night..

Which has always been true.

"experts say"..

"fewer republicans" than "democrats" voted by mail.

So..

"1"-candidate could be "up" in a state "earlier in th night"..

And then "the other candidate" could lead the race "as in-person votes" are counted.

"a historical streak"..

Is on the line tonight "in vigo county".

As "a bellwether county"..

"voters here" are almost always "in alignment" with the presidential winner.

News 10's "dominic miranda" spoke with "a local expert" today.

He joins us now..

*live*..

With more on the significance of this designation.

/////// i'm live outside the vigo county courthouse will vote counting will start soon.

Since 1956 vigo county has voted in alignment with the presidential election winner.

That's the 2nd longest streak in the united states.

I spoke with rose hulman political science professor terrence casey.

Casey says it's not like the outcome of vigo county will decide the way indiana leans in this election.

However...this is a significant run of success for vigo county....and it's definitely garnering attention.

Casey tells me he's done interviews with international sources about vigo county.

He says it's not just americans who look at vigo county.... in fact there was an article in the b-b-c recently about vigo county's bellwether status.

Casey says vigo county voters tend to be very much in tune with the national mood... however the county certainly doesn't look demographically like the nation as a whole.

Casey offered his explanation to vigo county's bellwether status.

//////// "i think the thing that tends to keep us in front is you have this very stark mix of rural and urban areas.

We have multiple institutes of higher education and college students tend to be a little more on the liberal side.

So we create something from that some kind of a balance in the political realm.

We do tend to bounce back and forth between republicans and democrats."

///////// coming up for you at 6... i'll have more from casey and if he believes the bellwether streak will continue here in vigo county.

Reporting live from the vigo county courthouse.

I'm news 10's dominic miranda back to you ////////// "the bellwether status"..

Drew "national attention" "aga today".

"cackleberries" in terre haute..

Welcomed "national media" this morning.

"pete heg-seth" .."from fox news" was reporting *live*.

Due to special arrangements..

We were *not* allowed inside while "the crew" was working there.

Of course..

"news 10" will closely follow whether "vigo county" is correct again this year.

"poll workers" have also been *very busy*.

News 10's bureau chief "gary brian"..

Updates us..

On what's unfolded "in our southern counties" this afternoon.

/////// /////// gar} "for the last few weeks election workers have been busy with early voting.

Today, on election day, from martin county in the east to richland county in the west the story remains the same."

County clerks around the valley say they are expecting double the turnout this year.

That's in comparision to the last presidential election in 2016.

That expectation is due to an already high amount of voters casting their ballots early.

Starting over in illinois... early votes equaled 25% of registered voters in lawrence county.

In richland county that number went up to 30%.

Jasper county had more than 1600 early votes.

Also in illinois..

Crawford county saw around four thousand folks come out early.

In indiana...martin county had counted more than three thousand early votes and votes by mail.

Now get this...knox county had just shy of six thousand votes where daviess county broke that barrier at more than 6300.

"i'd like to see that trend continue from here on out.

But it remains to be seen.

The next elections not until 2022.

Maybe we'll get back to kind of normal and love one another."

Gar} "at the top of the hour i'll have more on how things have been going here in knox county.

Working from home in vincennes, gary brian news 10."

////////// we here "at news 10"..

Will continue "election coverage" fo you "all night long".

We have "special c-b-s coverage"..

As well as "special reports" "with local updates".

Of course..

You can catch us "on my fox 10" at "10"-o'clock eastern..

And at "11" "for news 10 nightwatch" we're also keeping you updated "online" over at "wthi tv dot com"..

And "on the