By RAY ADLER
Ask Adler
So, you want to run for office?
The Election Board at its last meeting had the difficult task of removing several people from the May ballot because they had improperly filed their application to run for office. Applications must be filed under oath and need to be accurate.
To file for a political party office, such as a State Delegate or Precinct Committeeman, an applicant must have voted in the previous two primaries for that party, or in the alternative, they must have a letter of approval from their County Party Chairman. They must make the choice on the application of which type of qualification they are choosing: primary voting or party chair. Those not complying with the rules may be removed by the Election Board on its own motion or any person may challenge a candidate.
Recent instances show some close calls. We had a young lady who had an out-of-county address because she lived at the edge of the county. She was a Hamilton County resident. She applied to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles for registration and was wrongfully placed in Madison County. This was first discovered when she came to vote in the last election. The Precinct Committeeman, rather than permitting a provisional ballot, which would have been proper, merely indicated it would be cleared up by the next election, thus barring the candidate from meeting the qualifications of voting in two prior primary elections. Since she had selected voting in the primary as her means of qualification and was challenged, the Board had to remove her candidacy.
You might ask, “Wasn’t that close enough to allow her to run?” As President of the Election Board in what is thought of as a highly Republican County, I was named as the Republican Representative of Indiana Election Boards in a recent Federal lawsuit by Common Cause, suing to change election rules. While we were ultimately successful, I never want to be in the position of being called to testify in Federal Court about whether Hamilton County sometimes does not follow election rules.
Election Administrator Beth Sheller and County Clerk Kathy Williams are both well versed in the election rules in Hamilton County and can assist applicants who have questions when they file. At the last meeting, the Republicans and the Democrats were united in following the rules even when sometimes the cases make it exceedingly difficult to do so.
I encourage all voters in Hamilton County to register, check your registration, vote regularly, and participate in the election process.
Educational material and not legal advice, written by the team at Adler attorneys. Email andrea@noblesvilleattorney.com with questions or comments.