Engling clashes with Indiana secretary of state rivals over noncitizen voting

By GARRETT BERGQUIST
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

Republican secretary of state candidate Max Engling faced sharp criticism from his opponents during a debate Wednesday night over his focus on preventing noncitizens from voting.

While federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in elections, Republicans nationwide have prioritized the issue this election cycle. During the event hosted by the Indiana Debate Commission, Engling claimed he was the only candidate committed to ensuring only citizens cast ballots in Indiana.

Engling’s remarks drew immediate condemnation from his rivals, particularly former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, an independent running on the Lincoln Party ticket. Ballard called Engling’s comments “ridiculous” and stated he supports verifying voter citizenship but argued the current system is secure.

Ballard said, “The [county] clerks would take great offense that the Republican Party’s implying this is having an effect. The only election that was in danger of being overturned is the one they created with the Deery-Copenhaver case.”

Democrat Beau Bayh questioned the lack of prosecutions following a voter fraud investigation by Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales and Attorney General Todd Rokita. That probe identified 21 instances of noncitizens voting in Indiana over several years.

Libertarian Lauri Shillings argued Engling is attempting to force Indiana to follow the proposed federal Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which she warned could disenfranchise voters who changed their names due to marriage, divorce, or adoption.

Engling defended his position.

“I have said very often, and now my opponents have come along too, that even one instance of illegal voting is too many. You’re not hiring me to be a legislator; you’re hiring me to be the chief election officer for the state of Indiana. You have to have confidence that I am going to root out corruption, fraud, wherever it happens,” Engling said.

All four candidates agreed on the need to investigate Morales, who faces accusations of hiring family members, awarding no-bid contracts, and using taxpayer funds to purchase a luxury SUV. Ballard said he has spoken to law enforcement regarding a possible criminal probe but did not provide details. Shillings called for a full review of the office’s budget, while Engling suggested the state’s inspector general investigate the office.

Bayh repeated his call for an independent audit.

He said, “Certainly, if we uncover evidence of potential criminal wrongdoing, I will work with law enforcement and prosecutors to hold people accountable. But there’s something important here, and I want to bring up an important point. Max Engling brought up the inspector general, OK? The inspector general was appointed two years ago by the governor, who is Max Engling’s biggest supporter.”

While the debate focused largely on electoral and business functions, the candidates also discussed the potential for artificial intelligence to be used for securities fraud or election law violations. All four candidates said the office should address those risks.

Shillings said, “I think we need to have somebody on staff full-time that can monitor this or work with a trusted partner who can ensure that AI is being used effectively to flag these instances, to prevent it and to work and test our election machines and our business systems over and over again.”

Early voting is currently underway and continues through Nov. 2. Election Day is Nov. 3.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/election/engling-noncitizen-voting-debate.