Indiana: Indiana recount panel to appeal Secretary of State Charlie White’s voter fraud ruling | The Indianapolis Star

The Indiana Recount Commission says it will appeal a judge’s ruling ordering it to reconsider whether Republican Secretary of State Charlie White was a valid candidate for the office to which he was elected.

The commission did not lay out its case in the notice of appeal it filed in Marion Circuit Court, and officials at the commission and attorney general’s office, which represents it in court, declined to discuss the substance of the appeal until it is filed. There is currently no timetable for the filing, said Bryan Corbin, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office.

Indiana: Rokita calls White’s release of report a mistake | nwi.com

Former Secretary of State Todd Rokita believes Secretary of State Charlie White erred in making public Rokita’s investigation of White’s voting history.

On Thursday, White released the “Rokita Report,” a 238-page compilation of public records that the report says shows “apparent, albeit rebuttable” intent by White to deliberately vote in the wrong precinct in the May 2010 GOP primary election. The report is partially the basis for seven felony charges, including three counts of voter fraud, pending against White in Hamilton County.

Indiana: Indiana Secretary of State’s Report on White found indications of potential voter fraud | Indianapolis Star

A report on allegations of voter fraud by Secretary of State Charlie White found “apparent, albeit rebuttable” indications that White intentionally used his ex-wife’s address to vote in the May 2010 primary.

The report, released Thursday, offers just enough suspicion to excite Democrats, who have filed a complaint alleging that White wasn’t legally registered to vote when he declared his candidacy and is ineligible to hold office.

Indiana: Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White Releases Rokita Report

ndiana Secretary of State Charlie White’s office today released a report compiled by then Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita at the request of the Indiana State Democratic Party. Rokita had petitioned to have the report exempt from public record requests, and the move by White comes after final approval from the Indiana Inspector General regarding its release.

Earlier today, the Indiana Inspector General issued a report clearing Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White of any wrongdoing regarding access to the report prepared by his predecessor. Prosecutors had alleged Secretary White had wrongfully accessed the report, yet the report indicates nothing improper.

Furthermore, the Inspector General cleared the way to release the Rokita report per the request of Secretary White almost two months ago. Rokita had previously made the report inaccessible by public records request. In pushing transparency within the office, White’s administration had promised to release the report pending approval from the Indiana Attorney General, the Indiana Public Access Counselor and the Indiana Inspector General. With the Inspector General being the last to sign off as of this morning, the report is being prepared for public access.

“As promised almost two months ago, we are providing the report in its entirety to allow Hoosiers an opportunity to see the facts for what they are,” White spokesman AJ Feeney-Ruiz said. “We continue to push for transparency and we applaud the Inspector General for allowing us to do so.”

Full Article: Secretary of State: Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White Releases Rokita Report.

Indiana: Error fixed, 61 votes separate Westfield Indiana GOP mayor candidates | The Indianapolis Star

A couple of possible irregularities before and during Tuesday’s primary election has one candidate for Westfield mayor weighing his options. About 131 votes in the Westfield’s Southwest Precinct weren’t properly tabulated Tuesday night, election administrator Kathy Richardson confirmed this morning.

Richardson said an error regarding council districts was caught early Tuesday and corrected, but the voting electronics wouldn’t accept the amended information.

Indiana: Judge won’t halt Dems’ challenge to White | The Indianapolis Star

A Marion County judge on Thursday denied Secretary of State Charlie White’s request to halt a challenge by Democrats to his eligibility to hold office. The state Democratic Party claims White, who faces seven felony charges, including three of voter fraud, isn’t eligible for office because he wasn’t legally registered to vote when he declared his candidacy. White, a Republican, had asked the court to delay the challenge until the Hamilton County criminal case is resolved.

But Marion Circuit Judge Louis Rosenberg said Thursday there’s no guarantee that White’s criminal trial will be held Aug. 8 as scheduled, so the civil challenge could be drawn out indefinitely if it hinged on the resolution of the criminal case.

Indiana: Indiana Secretary of State White wants judge to stop civil challenge to his eligibility | The Indianapolis Star

Charlie White is asking a Marion County judge to temporarily stop Democrats’ challenge to his eligibility to serve as secretary of state. If his request is granted, Democrats’ plan to oust White through a civil complaint could be derailed. They claim he wasn’t legally registered to vote at the time he declared his candidacy and wasn’t eligible to run.

In a motion filed today, White says the civil challenge should be stopped until a criminal case pending in Hamilton County is resolved. White faces seven felony charges, including three counts of voter fraud. Since both cases involve the legality of his voter registration, allowing the civil case to proceed could jeopardize White’s right to not incriminate himself, according to the motion.

Indiana: Judge orders recount panel to explain Charlie White lag | The Indianapolis Star

A Marion County judge has ordered the IndianaRecount Commission and the State Republican chairman to explain why they haven’t moved quickly to resolve Democrats’ challenge to Charlie White’s eligibility to serve as secretary of state.

On April 7, Marion Circuit Court Judge Louis F. Rosenberg ruled the Democrats’ challenge is valid and told the Recount Commission to move forward with it quickly.

Indiana: Measure Would Allow Daniels To Appoint New Secretary of State | WFPL News

The Indiana Senate has approved a measure that would allow Republican Governor Mitch Daniels to appoint a new secretary of state if current officeholder Charlie White is found to be ineligible. Democrats are calling it a blatant power grab.

White, a Republican, is under indictment on voter fraud charges. Democrats are now challenging his eligibility. Current state law requires runner-up Democrat Vop Osili to take office if White is ineligible.

Indiana: Indiana Senate OKs plan to alter election law and allow Governor to appoint Secretary of State replacement | The Indianapolis Star

Despite howls from Democrats that Republicans were changing the rules because they fear the outcome, the Senate on Monday approved a provision that would let the governor appoint a new secretary of state if Charlie White is found ineligible to have been elected. The provision would overturn current law that says the second-highest vote-getter — in this case, Democrat Vop Osili — would be declared the winner.

The amendment, offered by Sen. Michael Young, R-Indianapolis, would minimize the fallout for Republicans if White is found ineligible. Not only would it let the Republican governor choose White’s replacement, but Republicans would keep political perks based on the number of votes a party’s candidate for secretary of state wins, especially getting their candidates on ballots without going through the petition process.

Indiana: Challenge to Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White’s election is ruled valid | Indianapolis Star

Democrats’ legal challenge to the election of Secretary of State Charlie White is valid, a judge ruled Thursday, and he sent it back to the Indiana Recount Commission to be resolved. Marion Circuit Judge Louis Rosenberg said the commission’s interpretation of the law when it dismissed questions of White’s eligibility would “undermine a key purpose of (the law): preventing fraud.”

Bradley Skolnik, the state’s recount director, said it’s too early to say whether the commission will appeal Rosenberg’s ruling. Democrats filed suit in December after the commission voted along party lines to dismiss their allegations that White, who was registered at an old address when he filed his candidacy, was not eligible to run in November’s election.

Indiana: Judge to decide Indiana Secretary of State White’s status Thursday | WISHTV.com

A Marion County judge will decide Thursday if Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White’s election was unqualified to have his name on the ballot last November. Indiana Democrats have sued, seeking to have White removed from his post and replaced by Democrat Vop Osili, who lost to White in November’s election.

Attorneys for the Democrats went to court Wednesday to argue that White lied on his voter registration form and therefore was ineligible to run for secretary of state. White’s attorney, Jim Bopp, argued that White met requirements to be on the ballot because he was registered to vote. There is no requirement to be “legally” registered, he said.

Indiana: Prosecution of Indiana elections chief could be tough | Miami Herald

Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White’s excuse that a busy schedule and new marriage caused him to give the wrong address at a polling place could be a feasible defense to voter fraud and other criminal allegations he now faces, a legal expert said Friday.

“It may not be a defense to the claim that as secretary of state he should be held to a very high standard, but in terms of a criminal conviction, I think that kind of mistake sounds plausible,” said Craig Bradley, an Indiana University law professor.

Indiana: Lake County Indiana isn’t ready for vote centers this spring | NWI Times

Lake County officials will stay with the tradition of neighborhood polling places in the May 3 primary despite a new law promising savings and voter convenience. Fewer than half the municipal offices on the ballot are being contested by two or more candidates in 18 cities and towns.

Highland has no contested races and will ask to opt out of the spring primary, Highland Councilman Brian Novak said. The county and remaining municipalities will be paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to unfurl a network of electronic voting machines and teams of poll workers in hundreds of precinct polling places.