Polls open with mild weather in Monroe County on Nov. 3, 2026
This is a log of B Square Bulletin visits to different polling locations through the day on Nov. 3, 2026. It will be updated through the day as resources allow.
At Election Central in the North Showers building on Morton Street in downtown Bloomington, polls were proclaimed open at 6 a.m. sharp Tuesday (Nov. 3)
The announcement was delivered by Monroe County’s elected clerk, Nicole Browne, in the “loud tone of voice” required under Indiana election law. Voters will have until 6 p.m. to cast their ballots.
Waiting in line to vote when Browne opened the polls were three voters.
Weather should be no obstacle to turnout. The overnight temperature hovered around 60 degrees, and the forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a high in the mid-70s, with little chance of rain during voting hours.
The number of ballots cast on Election Day will determine how turnout stacks up against the two most recent midterm general elections, in 2018 and 2022.
Heading into Tuesday, Monroe County had recorded about 20,800 ballots cast ahead of Election Day, including 18,324 in-person early voters. The final day of early in-person voting, Monday (Nov. 2), added 940 voters to the tally.
This year's advance-voting total is about 17% higher than the 17,808 recorded in 2022, but about 17% lower than the 24,984 recorded in 2018.
In 2022, Election Day voters accounted for 56% of the final turnout of 40,489. If Election Day voters make up the same share this year, around 26,500 people will cast ballots Tuesday, bringing total turnout to about 47,300.
That would put turnout about 6,800 above 2022, but still about 5,100 short of the 52,343 who voted in 2018.
So the benchmark to watch Tuesday is around 26,500 Election Day voters. Based on the ballots already recorded, it would take around 31,600 Election Day voters to match the 2018 total. The threshold for beating 2022 is around 19,700. Those benchmarks are a bit imprecise, depending on the number of additional mailed-in ballots that could arrive on Tuesday.
Included below in the timestamped updates through the day from different polling stations will be any updates from county clerk Nicole Browne on voting numbers. She typically sends out periodic email messages.
Polling locations log
Election Central at North Showers. 6:00 a.m. Elected County clerk Nicole Browne is termed out and is working her final election. She delivered the statutorily-required announcement that the polls are open. Three people were waiting in line at the time.
Early voting ballots are getting opened and scanned in the Election Central building today. The tally won’t come until after the polls are closed.
Boys & Girls Glub. 6:45 a.m. Sixteen people have voted so far. Two voters were already waiting outside when the polls opened at 6 a.m. Poll workers report that everything has gone smoothly with the voting technology, with no problems so far.
Indiana Memorial Union. 7:00 a.m. Nine people have voted so far, including one who was waiting when the polls opened. A poll worker says turnout is running a little ahead of the May primary election. There have been no technology problems like the minor glitch experienced during the primary.
Outside, a volunteer with the IU Democrats is directing voters to the polling location. Her sign says “Ask me where to vote!” Inside, The B Square is instructed to turn off its phone and leave its bag against a wall before proceeding into the voting area.
No candidates or representatives from any campaigns have been staffing any of the locations visited so far.
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