Gov. Braun rejects appeal to speed up Indiana Election Commission meeting

Gov. Braun rejects appeal to speed up Indiana Election Commission meeting

by

Governor Rejects Emergency Election Hearing

Republican Gov. Mike Braun has declined to direct the Indiana Election Commission to meet ahead of Election Day, leaving pending campaign finance misconduct allegations to wait until the panel’s next scheduled session on November 20.

Braun issued his decision on Tuesday in a response letter released by the governor’s office. The move came in direct reply to an appeal filed a day earlier by Lincoln Party secretary of state candidate Greg Ballard, who urged the governor to force an earlier hearing on complaints lodged against Republican candidate Max Engling and Democrat Beau Bayh.

Legal Deadends in Marion County Court

Ballard’s outreach to the executive branch followed a setback in the judicial system. On Monday, a judge handling a separate lawsuit filed by Ballard rejected a motion seeking a court order to compel an emergency meeting of the election board.

Governor Braun responds to Greg Ballard's request for Election Commission to meet | Live coverage

Confidence Citing Judicial Findings

In his letter, Braun stood by the current schedule and expressed confidence in the board’s operations. “While no process is ever perfect, I am satisfied that the Commission has managed the business of election law competently and efficiently,” Braun wrote. He pointed directly to the judicial findings, noting that the Marion County Superior Court determined Ballard had offered no evidence proving that the November 20 meeting date is insufficient for addressing pending campaign finance violations.

The Balance of Power on the Commission

The Indiana Election Commission comprises two Republican members and two Democrats, including Election Commission Chair Beth Boyce, who also serves as the Johnson County Republican chair. State law grants both the governor and the commission chair the specific authority needed to call meetings of the panel.

Accusations of Running Out the Clock

Ballard criticized the outcome immediately following the governor’s refusal to intervene. “Based on yesterday’s disappointing ruling, the election commission got away with it,” Ballard said Tuesday. “They got away with it. They simply wanted to run out the clock.”

Keep reading

Read next