Indiana Democrats Challenge Todd Young's Ballot Petitions

INDIANAPOLIS -- State Democrats filed a challenge Wednesday to U.S. Rep. Todd Young’s place on the ballot for the U.S. Senate Republican primary.

Senate candidates need 500 signatures from registered voters in each congressional district in order to appear on the primary ballot.  Clerks in the three northwest Indiana counties that make up the first district certified 501 signatures for Young.  But, State Democratic Party Chair John Zody says his staff did several counts of the ballot petitions and found only 498 signatures -- which would leave Young two short. 

Zody insists the challenge he’s filing with the State Election Division isn’t a political maneuver.

“We have to ask these questions.  When it’s that close, you have to look at…this is state law, this is a race for the United States Senate and someone possibly not having done and met the minimum requirements required for this race,” Zody said.

The Young campaign calls the challenge “blatant political gamesmanship.”  Spokesman Cam Savage says they’re not concerned.

“We think there are actually more valid signatures than the state’s indicating at the moment, so we’re very confident that we’ll be on the ballot,” Savage said.

Indiana Public Broadcasting, as well as several other Statehouse media organizations, conducted independent counts of Young’s ballot petitions – and found 497 valid signatures, one less than the Democrats’ count and three less than Young needs.  The difference in the counts appears to be signatures counted twice.

The Indiana Election Commission could rule on the challenge at its next scheduled meeting, Feb. 19.