Lake County election board refers Niemeyer concerns for attorney review

Chicago Tribune

15-07-2025

The Lake County Board of Elections asked its attorneys to review information presented by Lake County Republican Party Chairman Randy Niemeyer with two concerns.
Niemeyer, who is also a Lake County Councilman, presented concerns Tuesday that Democratic employees set up for the party's caucus during work hours in February, and some poll workers were paid for training they allegedly didn't attend.
In regard to the caucus, Niemeyer said that at least two Democratic employees were setting up for the caucus, which was held March 1 at the Lake County Government Center, during work hours on Friday, Feb. 28.
During the May special Crown Point and Hobart school referendum elections, Niemeyer previously said he was concerned about inspectors and students being paid for training, which they have to attend by law, but records indicate that some didn't receive training.
Niemeyer told the election board members that Indiana Code allows the board to adopt a waiver of election training if certain circumstances are met.
'The purpose of this presentation is not to go on some sort of a witch hunt or to look for problems where they don't exist. It's where we have procedural issues, we want them corrected,' Niemeyer said. 'The goal of this is not to see punitive measures taken against individuals. It's to correct a problem.'
Board member Michael Mellon asked staff if the board's policy is that employees can't walk into a political, partisan situation during work hours. Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Assistant Director Jessica Messler said the employee handbook states that is 'against the rules.'
Lake County Clerk Michael Brown said the election board's attorneys should review the information Niemeyer submitted to the board to determine how the board should move forward before asking questions.
'I don't think this is an appropriate time to start questions and answers,' Brown said. 'We will make decisions based on what our attorney tells us and whatever we need to do to correct it, so it will be corrected, but it has to be done the right way. This is not the right way.'
Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman previously said employees did not set up for the caucus during business hours. The voting machines and tables were delivered that Friday, she said, but all setup was done Saturday morning.
Fajman previously said some employees could've walked into the auditorium to see if the equipment was in the room, ready to be set up the next day. Employees like to walk the government campus during their breaks, so it's possible some employees could've walked by the auditorium, she said, but no setup was done.
Fajman said that special elections are paid for by the entity holding the election, so all payments of election workers would be paid for by the school districts. Initially, the money comes out of the county's general fund, and then the schools reimburse the county for the elections.
Under Indiana law, clerks and judges can complete election training online or in person, Fajman said. Inspectors have to do training in person, she said.
Further, Indiana law dictates that students have to attend a training, Fajman said, so they can pick in person or online.
Fajman said when election workers go to training, they show their driver's license and check in on a poll pad against voter registration data.
Because some students aren't old enough to vote yet, Fajman said they are checked in manually. To get paid, students on Election Day sign a pay claim and mark on the claim that they attend training.
Inspectors could have a discrepancy in training attendance because there could be situations where an inspector had to back out of working the election, but remains on the record, and another inspector fills in, Fajman previously said.
The election office has been working toward coming up with a system to better track attendance and payments, Fajman previously said, and hopes to launch it by the next general election.
'Right now, there's no foolproof method that we have, but we're looking into it right now,' Fajman previously said.