CROWN POINT | The Lake County election office here were hopping Tuesday morning with early voters and requests for absentee ballots, but early voting in Gary, Hammond and East Chicago remained closed under a federal restraining order until at least next week.
U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen met Tuesday afternoon with attorneys for county Republican and Democratic officials and issued an order forbidding the opening of early voting satellite offices in the county's three largest cities. Van Bokkelen is scheduled to hear further evidence Friday regarding whether such satellite offices would violate state law by opening.
Indianapolis attorney David M. Brooks, who represents the county Republican Party, said Tuesday both parties agreed to put off opening any satellite offices until at least Tuesday, 22 days before the Nov. 4 general election.
Michelle Fajman, county elections supervisor, said 250 people Monday appeared in person at the Crown Point office to vote in the general election.
Democratic officials want the satellite offices in Gary, Hammond and East Chicago immediately opened because they expect a record voter turnout and want to avoid long lines and other impediments to voting by Nov. 4.
But Republicans sued in state and federal court last week to stop the satellite locations from opening, arguing too many early voting locations would strain the county election staff's efforts to stop vote fraud.
The GOP contends state law requires an unanimous bipartisan vote by the election board to establish satellite early voting offices.
The Lake County elections board voted 3-2 last month to open the satellite early voting centers in the Hammond, Gary and East Chicago downtown courthouses. The board's two Republican members dissented.
Jim Wieser, an attorney for union groups seeking more early voting places, said as many as 30,000 people could take advantage of in-person early voting.
Wieser obtained an order Monday from Lake Circuit Court Judge Lorenzo Arredondo to open early voting in the three cities, but the federal order vacates Arredondo's ruling.
