Official predicts few major poll problems

Gov. Joe Kernan and Republican Mitch Daniels spent a final campaign day rallying supporters, while Indiana's top election official predicted high turnout and few major problems at the polls on Election Day.\nSecretary of State Todd Rokita said no election was perfect, but Indiana had new laws regarding provisional ballots and early voting, and state and local officials are prepared for Tuesday.\n"Because of that, it's going to be one of Indiana's finest hours," Rokita said Monday. "We have put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this."\nRokita said he expects turnout to surpass the 55.9 percent of registered voters in Indiana who cast ballots in 2000. Polls are scheduled to be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.\nThe National Weather Service said rain was likely Tuesday in much of Indiana, with highs in the mid-50s to low 60s.\nVoters will decide whether to re-elect Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh to a second term. Recent polls showed him a big favorite over Republican Marvin Scott.\nRepublican Suellen Reed is seeking her fourth term as superintendent of public instruction and faces Democrat Susan Williams. Republican Attorney General Steve Carter is running for a second term and faces Democrat Joe Hogsett, a former secretary of state.\nControl of the House is again up for grabs. Democrats had a 51-49 advantage going into Tuesday.\nThree proposed state constitutional amendments are on the ballot, including one that would establish a line of succession if the governor and lieutenant governor were unable to serve.\nSeveral local judicial races will be decided, and the statewide ballot will ask voters if Court of Appeals Judge John Sharpnack should be retained.\nPresident Bush had polls, and history, on his side in Indiana. No Democrat has won Indiana's 11 electoral votes since Lyndon Johnson in 1964.\nBut recent polls have shown the governor's race to be tight.\nDaniels and Kernan each attended rallies Monday and urged supporters to get to the polls.\nAbout 250 supporters, most wearing green-and-white "My man Mitch" T-shirts, greeted Daniels at Republican Party headquarters in Elkhart. They began cheering when the recreational vehicle he calls "RV One" pulled up.\nDaniels told them he was feeling emotional and nostalgic after a 16-month job interview. He said he was confident that Indiana residents were ready for change.\n"We have an economy to rebuild, we have a broke and broken state government to repair, but most important, we have hopes and dreams and opportunity for Hoosiers young and old to restore, resurrect," Daniels said. "It's not going to be a day or a month. But I told you, it's something we're really good at."\nIn Indianapolis, more than 200 people -- including former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh -- cheered wildly for Kernan during a noon rally at the Statehouse.\n"Thirty more hours. Thirty more hours," Kernan said. "We're going to have a great celebration tomorrow night, but we still have a little bit more work to do."\nAfter telling everyone to call others and encourage them to vote, Kernan got on his cell phone. Then Kernan, who played catcher for the University of Notre Dame, heaved little foam baseballs to the crowd. Some people caught the balls while leaning over the balcony a floor above.\nMeanwhile, both major parties tried to mobilize.\nIn Marion County, both parties said they had mounted their biggest get-out-the-vote campaigns in years, possibly ever. County Republicans said 400 volunteers were busy knocking on the doors of registered Republicans to make sure they knew where to vote.\nDemocrats had about 200 volunteers doing the same legwork, and hundreds of others staffed phone banks. Both parties also had call-in centers to dispatch rides to voters without transportation on Tuesday.\n"We have more energy and more get-out-the-vote activities than I've seen in 16 years," said Mike Murphy, the county's GOP chairman.\nJoel Miller, executive director of the Marion County Democratic Party, said nearly 700 people had called to offer help on Election Day. \n"I've never seen anything like these numbers," he said.\nKate Shepherd, a spokeswoman for the secretary of state's office, said posters had been placed in every polling place in Indiana to inform voters of their Election Day rights.