VP Mike Pence postpones plans to vote in Indy due to ‘a scheduling issue’
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, have canceled plans to visit Indianapolis on Friday and vote in early balloting at the City-County Building, according to the Marion County Clerk’s Office.
An adviser to Pence said the reason was not health-related.
Marty Obst, senior political adviser for Pence, explained the cancellation in an email to News 8’s Demie Johnson: “It was merely a scheduling issue and definitely not health related. We are going to be in Florida Saturday, Ohio Monday, and Wisconsin Tuesday. Will be sure to reach out in advance or our next trip to Indiana.”
Pence spoke Thursday afternoon at a campaign event in Peoria, Arizona, mentioning the vice presidential debate on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.
The news first came through a release emailed from the White House that showed Pence’s previous plans to visit Indiana and added a message in red: “The Vice President’s trip has been postponed. The Vice President looks forward to rescheduling this trip in the near future.” No date was given.
According to media reports, the trip had been on the books for nine days.
See coverage of Pence’s planned visit, from News 8 at 10 on Wednesday night in the video and story below. App users can go online to view that video.
VP Mike Pence to vote in Indianapolis as city again hits early-balloting record
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Just days after the only vice presidential debate, Republican Mike Pence will come back to Indiana.
The vice president will be casting his early ballot Friday at the City-County Building downtown.
But, election officials said, it should not affect operations for other voters. Even more people voted Wednesday at the City-County Building than did on Tuesday, when it set a record for the first day of early voting. Hollis said 1,296 people cast a ballot on Wednesday, about 50 people more than Tuesday, but wait times remained no longer than 25 to 30 minutes.
With adjustments made by the Marion County Clerk’s Office midday Tuesday, the wait was nowhere near as long on Wednesday. Deputy Clerk Russell Hollis said even with the vice president coming on Friday, it should remain just as smooth.
“Voting will continue while he is here in the building,” Hollis said.
Pence and wife, Karen, are due to land on Air Force Two at 11:35 a.m., then vote at the City-County Building at 12:15 p.m.
“It’s possible it could go a little slower (for other voters),” Hollis admitted. “We don’t expect any significant change or delays to the voting process.”
Hollis said voters should experience minimal impact. He added the voting will not need to be shut for a security sweep before he arrives.
“Not at all,” Hollis said. “With respect to the voting process, wait times, things of that nature, I don’t think voters will see any significant change, whether they come on Friday when the vice president is here or any day before or any day after.”
A Columbus, Indiana, native, Pence has continued to use the Indiana governor’s residence, 4750 N. Meridian St., as his listed residence for voting purposes, though he hasn’t lived there in four years.
A spokeswoman with the Indiana Secretary of State’s office said a person does not lose their Indiana residence when state or federal business is the reason they have left, saying they can provide an alternate mailing address. It’s a practice most commonly used by voters in the military.
Hollis hopes Pence’s presence in Indianapolis reassures voters it’s safe to vote in person. “Voting in Marion County overall, whether it’s by mask or by mail, is safe,” Hollis said.
Some details are still being worked out; for example, can the vice president cut in line?