INDIANAPOLIS — The last chance for voters to cast ballots before Election Day ended with a long line and hours of waiting at the City-County Building.
The line leading to the clerk's office stretched the length of building and doubled back a couple of times before reaching the door.
It would have been longer if an election worker hadn't cut the line off at the noon deadline. Dozens of late arriving voters were turned away.
Dustin Bice and Adrienne Hartman were last in line with about a minute to spare.
"He said he was going to vote tomorrow," Hartman said.
"She said she was going," Bice replied. "I'm like 'I'll come with you. Let's get it done and make sure our vote gets in.'"
Many voters waited in line more than three hours. They didn't want risk even longer lines on Election Day.
"I think the lines will be crazier than what's right here," said Bobby Woods as he waited patiently.
A record setting 1-in-3 Indianapolis voters, more than 200,000 of them, cast their ballots early.
Election officials are expecting another record setting turnout on Election Day. More long lines are likely.
"But at the end of the day, it is more than 200,000 people we know will not be in line tomorrow," explained Russell Hollis, deputy director of the Marion County Clerk's Office. But Hollis still expects long lines.
Over the weekend, more than 7,000 voters cast ballots at Lucas Oil Stadium.
It has about twice as many voting stations as any other polling site. It was so successful that election officials will use the same game plan on Election Day.
Marion County early voting numbers
At the end of early voting on Monday, the Marion County Election Board had received 213,612 ballots. The board received 222,109 early ballots in the previous three presidential elections combined.
A total of 130,020 people voted early in person in Marion County this year. That's compared to a total of 159,733 in the previous three presidential elections.
The board has received 81,883 absentee ballots (out of 93,160 requested). In the previous three presidential elections, a total of 55,617 absentee ballots were cast.