Kaitlyn Miotto, 18, votes for the first time.

WARSAW — The theme at various voting locations in Warsaw on Tuesday, May 8, was the consistency of voter turnout.

“It’s been very steady,” said Jennifer Whitaker, inspector of Warsaw’s 2nd Ward, First Precinct, located at the Shrine Building in the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds. “We share a precinct with 3-1 and their side is busy, but we usually have our machines all full.” Less than an hour before noon, Whitaker said she expected at least two more surges in voter turnout. “After work is usually good and lunch time,” she said.

Whitaker’s assessment was mirrored by 6th Precinct Inspector Diane Shoemaker.

“It’s been steady,” Shoemaker said a few minutes before noon. “For a few minutes you might not have anybody, and then all at once, five or six will be coming in. But, it’s not like a period of just sitting there and not having somebody coming in.”

Shoemaker said that voter turnout, as consistent as it is, still pales by comparison to years with a presidential election.

At Warsaw’s 2nd Ward, 2nd Precinct, inspector Jack Volkers said turnout is slightly smaller than the last primary.

“We’re at 42 (voters),” said Volkers at mid-day. “I would say a little slower than the last primary.”

According to Volkers, 88 voters turned out for the last primary to vote in his precinct.

“I guessed 60 [this year] and it looks like we’re going to be around 70 or 80,” he said.

Kaitlyn Miotto, 18, voted in the first precinct of Warsaw’s 2nd Ward. It was her first trip to the polls, so she asked a lot of questions of poll station staff and was encouraged and even applauded after casting her ballot.

“It was pretty easy,” said the Warsaw Community High School senior. “My grandma and grandpa were like ‘you should vote’ and my history teacher was telling people to go vote,” she said.