Libertarian candidate for Indiana governor Rex Bell votes at Indianapolis hospital

A unanimous vote of the Wayne County Election Board made it possible for Libertarian candidate for governor Rex Bell to cast an absentee ballot from his room at IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where he is receiving treatment for a minor stroke.

Bell, 64, had planned to vote on Election Day.

However, after taking ill Wednesday night in Richmond and being transferred from Reid Health to Methodist, Bell, his family and Libertarian party members became concerned that he might not return to his Hagerstown home in time to go the polls on Election Day.

Bell's request to have a traveling voting board come to him in Indianapolis wasn't one that Wayne County Clerk Debra Berry had dealt with before, so she had to check with the election division of the Indiana secretary of state's office.

Bipartisan traveling voting boards of two people, a Republican and a Democrat, help Wayne County residents who have an injury, disability or illness that doesn't permit them to visit a polling place to cast an absentee ballot. Berry said she has three teams assisting voters.

To send a traveling voting board outside the county required a unanimous vote of the Wayne County Election Board, Berry said.

The board, which includes Berry, Democrat Martha Jones and Republican Linda Paust, the board president, agreed to the request.

"Both county (party) chairmen thought that was a great idea and so did I," Paust said. "We send out voting teams all the time. We all decided that it would be a very good thing to do. He is a voter, and he did not plan to have a stroke."

A team drove to Indianapolis to help Bell vote Friday afternoon, Berry said.

"Thankfully, it all worked out," she said. "The election division told me it doesn't happen often, but it does happen."

Jeremiah Morrell, Bell's campaign manager, posted a note of appreciation on the Bell campaign's Facebook page:

"Thanks to the efforts of Ms. Berry’s office, fellow candidates Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb and former House Speaker John Gregg, Secretary of State Connie Lawson, State Representative Tom Saunders, (Wayne County Democratic Party Chairman) Dakota Collins, (Wayne County Republican Party Chairman) Denny Burns, and a litany of others, including state representatives, state party chairs, county party chairs of all three political parties for their help in assisting the interpretation of state law to ensure this accommodation could be made. We are happy to share that while Rex had a team of people working to make sure he cast his ballot, that any Hoosier would be able to acquire the same when it comes to their ability to vote."

Morrell later said Bell is getting along very well in his recovery.

"He's sharp," Morrell said. "He is going to be who he was and have a full recovery."

Morrell said he has been speaking with Bell on a regular basis, talking about politics, Bell's Hagerstown-based contracting business and other subjects.

Morrell and the Bell family are thankful for the care he received at Reid Health and that he is being given at Methodist.

​Bell was chosen as the Libertarian Party candidate for the office of governor in April at the party's convention in Indianapolis, winning by a margin of about 2-1 over candidate Jim Wallace of Fishers.