Despite Trump claims, candidate Nikki Haley likely has enough petition signatures to appear on Indiana ballot

Republican Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley has received enough signatures to appear on the Indiana primary ballot, according to a preliminary report from the Indiana Election Division.

That's despite allegations from former President Donald Trump that Haley didn’t have enough signatures and missed the state filing deadline.

In order to appear on Indiana’s primary ballot, candidates must receive 500 signatures from voters in each of Indiana’s nine congressional districts. The filing deadline for petitions was January 30th.

An Indiana Election Division report shows Haley has received at least 500 signatures in each congressional district - but received exactly 500 in the district that includes Marion County.

Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell said that number means Haley could see her signatures challenged. If just one signature can be thrown out, it could put Haley’s appearance on the ballot in jeopardy.

“What voter registration has to do is make sure that the people who signed it all live in that district and are registered to vote in that district,” she said.

Even if Haley sees some of her signatures thrown out, the election commission would ultimately vote on whether she can appear on the primary ballot.

Bell noted that in 2016, then-U.S. House Representative Todd Young faced a similar ballot challenge when filing to run for U.S. Senate, with the commission ultimately voting that he had received enough petitions to appear on the ballot.

Any challenges of signatures would need to be submitted by February 16th.

Challenges with standing would need to be heard by the commission on or before February 29th.

A report from POLITICO earlier this week found that the Trump campaign sent a letter to Bell accusing her office of “improperly accepting petition signatures'' to allow Haley to appear on the Indiana primary ballot. The letter threatens “all appropriate legal options to vindicate the rights of President Trump and the Republican voters of Indiana.”

Bell said although her office was contacted by the Trump campaign, she does not oversee ballot certification. That is overseen by the Marion County Board of Voter Registration.

“We do not have anything to do with these petitions,” she said.

Bell said she directed the Trump campaign to the correct place.

The filing deadline to appear on the ballot is this Friday.

Contact WBAA/WFYI reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org.