Madison County prosecutor charges man with theft of ballots in election test

By GARRETT BERGQUIST
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

The Madison County prosecutor on Tuesday called an incident of ballot theft an effort to undermine confidence in the election system.

Madison County held a public test of its voting machines on Oct. 3. Investigators say surveillance video from that day shows Larry Savage take at least two ballots meant for use in the test and put them in his pocket.

Moments later, he posted in a Facebook Live feed, “3 ballots short!!! lol” and “Dontvtake (sic) anything.”

State troopers served a warrant at Savage’s home in Anderson that evening and recovered the ballots.

Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings said the ballots used in the test were actual ballots marked with every possible combination of candidates to ensure the machines would read them properly. He said not only did Savage’s actions undermine the test, but the ballots were used to set up a false narrative that the election’s results could not be trusted.

Cummings charged Savage on Tuesday with one count each of felony removal or destruction of ballots and misdemeanor theft.

“The ballots weren’t there because he took them himself,” Cummings said. “He creates a controversy that never existed in an effort to undermine confidence in our election process.”

Savage was one of several candidates who ran unsuccessfully against U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz in this May’s Republican primary.

On his campaign Facebook page, he’s billed himself as a MAGA candidate.

Court documents show on Oct. 17, he posted on Facebook, “A new era of accountability has begun in Madison County. We will shield citizens from harassment, dismantle entrenched networks and conduct thorough investigations into questionable conduct. By demanding fair, transparent elections, we will restore trust and protect civil rights. As a dedicated advocate, I will amplify the people’s voice, fostering a culture of justice and equality.”

In a video of Savage’s interaction with Indiana State Police detectives, Savage insists the ballots were sample ballots and he was allowed to take them with him. Court documents show Savage also told detectives he considered the matter to be politically motivated.

The incident comes amid growing attacks on the integrity of the election system. Former President Donald Trump has continued to spread claims of mass voter fraud without offering any evidence. Incendiary devices have been dropped into at least three ballot drop boxes in Portland, Ore. and Vancouver, Wash.

Cummings, who has been the Madison County prosecutor since 1995, said the number of fraudulent votes cast in elections is extremely small. He said he has never heard of anyone try to steal test ballots in the roughly 10 years since Madison County adopted its current voting machines. Cummings said he’s not concerned about further attempts to sabotage the election process in his county.

“I’m just fortunate that everything was videotaped and it can be seen what happened,” he said. “It makes it harder for those that want to undermine confidence in our electoral process to succeed.”

Savage did not answer the door when News 8 went to his home Tuesday afternoon to ask for comment. He could face up to 2 ½ years in prison if convicted.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/politics/ballot-theft-indiana-election.