Lake County elections public records request cited as reason for oath of ballot bill
A bill for the oath of ballot counter for provisional ballots, which was amended but held in committee Wednesday, was authored because of a 'difficulty in responding to' a records request by the Lake County Board of Elections and Registration office, state officials said.
Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman said the office did not receive a public request for the oath of ballot counter for provisional ballots in the general election.
'There is no documentation. If they have it, I would love to see it,' Fajman said. 'Lake County does an excellent job, and for something to try to throw us under the bus is offensive.'
Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, authored Senate Bill 186, which would require the circuit court clerk to give a copy of each oath counter on provisional ballots to the election division no later than 30 days after the election.
Chairman of the House Elections and Apportionment Committee Rep. Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola, offered an amendment to the bill to remove the requirement for the circuit court clerk to transmit a copy of each oath taken by a ballot counter for the 2024 election. The amendment was adopted unanimously.
Brad King, Republican co-director of the Indiana Election Division, said he supports the bill. The Lake County election office 'experienced, from the perspective of the Republican assistant director at that time, difficulty in responding to public records requests for oaths of the provisional ballot counters.'
'The bill before you comes from the actual experience that the individual had in providing those records upon request,' King said. 'It's not unprecedented. It mirrors a provision in current law.'
LeAnn Angerman, the former assistant director, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point, said the bill creates 'a backup' and 'protects everybody.' While Olthoff said she wasn't clear on what the end result of the Lake County public records request was, 'if it didn't come in a timely manner, or it didn't come at all and there was an issue getting it,' the bill will address that.
'It adds a layer of accountability, protection for the clerks in case of a question, and it's always a good practice to have a backup,' Olthoff said.
Fajman said office staff sign the oath of ballot counter for provisional ballots as they are the only ones who review the ballots. Then, the bipartisan board reviews the ballots, she said.
On Wednesday, Fajman said office staff began making copies of provisional ballots, which are 13×19 envelopes, to send to the state legislators. The legislators will see, Fajman said, that the same four staff members sign the provisional ballots.
'I would like the legislators to see how time-consuming this is,' Fajman said.
In drafting the bill, Dernulc previously said he worked with Secretary of State Diego Morales and King. Dernulc previously testified that he authored the bill after residents came to him to talk about more transparency in the election process.
'They would like to see a little more transparency, that's all,' Dernulc previously said. 'There's nothing that anybody's doing that's adversarial or bad, just a little more transparency into it.'
Indiana Election Division Democratic co-general counsel Matthew Kochevar, who said he was speaking on his own behalf, said the bill only addresses oaths for provisional ballot counters and not oath forms poll workers or absentee ballot counters sign.
Kochevar said he opposed the bill because people can file a records request to see provisional ballot signatures at their local election office, which is easier than traveling to Indianapolis to see the signatures. Further, the bill adds another paper trail the election division would have to monitor, he said.
Kochevar pointed to Fajman's testimony when the bill was in committee in the Senate. In her testimony, Fajman held up a 13×19 envelope and pointed to where a ballot counter signs the oath at the bottom.
'This is a waste of money. I know the individuals who he's talking about that want transparency. They have not come into our office to ask for it. If they did, I would gladly show them,' Fajman previously testified.
Wesco said the bill would be held in committee 'for possible consideration at a future meeting.'
akukulka@post-trib.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
16 minutes ago
- CBS News
Medicaid cuts could devastate hundreds of rural hospitals in GOP states, Democrats say
Cuts to federal spending on Medicaid could affect hundreds of rural hospitals in many states that have elected Republican senators and voted for President Trump, Senate Democrats warned Thursday, citing a list they commissioned of rural hospitals in financial distress. "If Republicans plan to pass drastic cuts to Medicaid and Medicare and effectively repeal the Affordable Care Act, communities should know exactly what they stand to lose," Sen. Ed Markey, the top Democrat in the Senate's health committee, said in a statement. The warning from Senate Democrats, outlined in a letter sent to President Trump and Republican congressional leaders, comes as senators are now wrestling with the budget package that Mr. Trump dubbed the "big, beautiful bill," which narrowly passed the House last month. Budget analysts say a slew of changes that the House bill made to Medicaid provisions — which backers argue would target "excesses and abuses" in the program — could add up to reduced federal Medicaid spending by more than $800 billion over the next decade, resulting in 7.8 million more uninsured people. The American Hospital Association has warned Medicaid cuts being considered by Congress "could have a devastating impact on rural hospitals," which often face larger shares of patients without health insurance. "Rural hospitals serve as critical — and sometimes the sole — source of care for rural communities," the hospital lobbying group says. Democrats cited a list of at-risk rural hospitals that the University of North Carolina's Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research compiled at their request. "If your party moves ahead with these drastic health care cuts that will cut millions of people off their health insurance coverage, rural hospitals will not get paid for the services they are required by law to provide to patients. In turn, rural hospitals will face deeper financial strain," the Democrats' letter states. The center analyzed data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to compile a list of rural hospitals at the highest risk of financial distress, broken down by state and congressional district. "Republican health care cuts would be felt by rural hospitals across the country. In Louisiana, 32 rural hospitals — or a majority of rural hospitals in the state — are serving a high concentration of Medicaid patients. A total of 33 hospitals are at risk based on serving a high share of Medicaid patients, experiencing negative total margins, or both," Democrats wrote. Louisiana is the home state of Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate health panel. The letter also itemized rural hospitals at risk in Alaska, Kentucky, West Virginia, Alabama and Tennessee. "Substantial cuts to Medicaid or Medicare payments could increase the number of unprofitable rural hospitals and elevate their risk of financial distress. In response, hospitals may be forced to reduce service lines, convert to a different type of healthcare facility, or close altogether," wrote University of North Carolina researchers Mark Holmes, George Pink and Tyler Malone in their responses to the Democrats.
Newsweek
21 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Republican Buddy Carter's Chances of Beating Jon Ossoff in Georgia—Polls
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new poll shows Republican Representative Buddy Carter with a lead over other potential candidates in the GOP primary for Georgia's 2026 Senate race to face off against Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in the general election next November. Newsweek reached out to the Carter and Ossoff campaigns for comment. Why It Matters Georgia's Senate race will likely be one of the most closely watched elections of the 2026 midterms. It's a must win for Democrats in their efforts to flip the Senate majority next year, but Republicans are hoping to make it competitive after the state narrowly backed President Donald Trump in last year's presidential race. The outcome of the race could have key implications for which party holds a critical majority in the coming years. What to Know Carter, a Republican whose district includes Savannah and other coastal areas, led other Republicans in a new internal poll of the primary field reported by NOTUS. The poll, however, found that many Georgia Republicans are still unsure about who they plan to support in the primary, meaning it could become a competitive race. Representative Buddy Carter attends the AFI 50th Anniversary Gala at The Library of Congress on November 1, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Senator Jon Ossoff speaks t a campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia on March 9,... Representative Buddy Carter attends the AFI 50th Anniversary Gala at The Library of Congress on November 1, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Senator Jon Ossoff speaks t a campaign event in Atlanta, Georgia on March 9, 2024. Morefor American Film Institute;Carter received support from 27 percent of the poll's respondents, followed by Representative Mike Collins at 18 percent. Ten percent said they are planning to back Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, while two percent are supporting Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King, according to NOTUS. Notably, neither Collins nor Raffensperger have made official campaign announcements. If no candidate reaches 50 percent of the vote in the primary or general election, a runoff will be held. No candidate approached 50 percent in this poll. The poll surveyed 970 likely Republican voters from June 8 to June 10, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. How Does Buddy Carter Fare Against Jon Ossoff? Recent polls suggest Ossoff has an advantage over Carter and other Republican candidates. Governor Brian Kemp, who has enjoyed strong approval ratings throughout his tenure, was viewed as the GOP's potential top recruit, but he declined to challenge Ossoff last month. A Tyson Group poll, initially reported by The Daily Caller, showed Ossoff with an 8-point lead over Carter (47 percent to 39 percent), with 13 percent remaining unsure of whom they would vote. Ossoff performed well with moderates in that poll—winning 64 percent of the key group compared to Carter's 15 percent. The survey polled 600 likely voters from January 30 to January 31, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points. A Cygnal poll released last month showed a closer race, with 46 percent of respondents backing Ossoff compared to 42 percent who supported Carter. That poll surveyed 800 respondents from May 15 to May 17, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.41 percentage points. What People Are Saying Nick Puglia, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told Town Hall in May: "The race is just beginning and Republicans already have candidates within the margin against the most vulnerable 2026 incumbent Senator on the map. Jon Ossoff is a radical leftist who wants to raise taxes on Georgia families and is working every single day to impeach President Trump." Ossoff's campaign manager Ellen Foster previously told Newsweek: "As we've said for the past few months, Senator Ossoff is well-prepared to defeat any challenger. As Republicans scramble in the aftermath, our campaign will continue to build insurmountable momentum needed to win next November." What Happens Next Candidates may still jump in over the coming months, and more polling could come out and indicate how competitive the race may become. The Cook Political Report currently rates Georgia as a pure toss-up for 2026.
27 minutes ago
Republican South Carolina House member charged with distributing child sexual abuse material
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A Republican South Carolina House member who prosecutors say used the screen name 'joebidennnn69' has been arrested and charged with 10 counts of distributing sexual abuse material involving children. RJ May was arrested Wednesday at his Lexington County home after a lengthy investigation and is scheduled to appear in federal court on Thursday. An indictment says the three-term Republican used several online names including 'joebidennnn69' to exchange files on the Kik social media network. The indictment didn't contain any additional details on the charges, which carry prison terms of five to 20 years upon conviction. May is a political consultant who has angered fellow House Republicans by running campaigns for candidates running against GOP incumbents in primaries. After his election in 2020, May helped create the Freedom Caucus, a group of the House's most conservative members who have run their own candidate against the Republican House speaker and refuse to join the Majority Caucus because they say it requires a loyalty pledge. The mainstream House Republicans aren't the true conservative heart of the GOP, the group said. The Freedom Caucus released a statement Wednesday night saying they kicked May out of their group after his arrest. May was one of the House's more vocal members after he arrived, frequently criticizing bills and discussing conservative amendments. 'We as legislators have an obligation to insure that out children have no harm done to them,' May said in January 2024 on the House floor during a debate on transgender care for minors. His oldest son charmed the House in April 2021 when May brought him to visit for his third birthday and the boy practiced his parade wave around the chamber. But that stopped in October, when federal prosecutors filed court papers saying the investigators seized a number of electronic devices from May, and they anticipated filing a criminal indictment. The documents provided no further details, but speculation has grown about the case. Many have distanced themselves from May, who during the current session could largely be seen at his corner desk in the back of the 124-seat chamber, mixing with very few colleagues.
