samtheeagle

9:40am
Indianapolis Public School 69

Aside from the presidential contest, the hottest election here is a slate of judgeships and Indianapolis seems to be crawling with judicial campaigns. The incumbent judges and their entire staffs -- the bailiffs, court clerks, court security officers and just about everyone else -- are out in force. Where an incumbent judge of one court battles a primary against an incumbent judge of another court, both judges and both court staffs are out in force. With so many judicial races, it's a wonder that courts are open today at all. (If a judge's staff can and does campaign, I'm concerned that staff can be nonpartisan in the way that the Judiciary should be nonpartisan, but that's a debate for a different today.)

Courts aren't the only things closed: Indiana's liquor stores also close for Election Day, a throwback to Prohibition days when voters allegedly were bribed with booze. Of course, the tobacco stores remain open and I'm certain liquor unavailable for purchase today was readily available for purchase yesterday, yet the liquor stores are shut for the sake of democracy. So long as I can get my free drinks at the hotel after the polls close, I guess I'll survive.