This Thursday at 7
p.m., Republicans in Burns Harbor will hold their town convention at the
Burns Harbor Town Hall complex at 1240 North Boo Rd. to elect a candidate
for Clerk-Treasurer.
The race is between
nominees Timothy Canfield and Crystal Westphal.
A convention is
required when there is a competition for an elected office between
candidates of the same party. Only one Republican candidate can be placed on
the November municipal election ballot for Clerk-Treasurer.
Unlike the Democrat
races in Burns Harbor, the Republicans will not be voting on any Town
Council candidates at the convention. Only four Republican candidates filed
for five open seats.
Chairing the
convention will be Kevin Tracy. Krista Tracy will serve as the convention’s
recording secretary. Town Council candidate Andy Bozak and Porter County
Recorder Jon Miller will keep order as the sergeants-at-arms.
Tracy said any
eligible voter who is at the Town Hall at 7 p.m. will be allowed to
participate. He encourages voters to arrive before 7 p.m. for registration.
The convention will
be conducted according to the rules of procedure set by the Indiana
Republican Party.
The first item of
business will be to determine the eligibility of the voters. Voters must be
registered at least 29 days prior to the convention. The Porter County
Voters Registration office will provide a list of registered voters.
Voters must sign a
statement that they are a member of the Republican Party, having voted in
the 2014 Republican primary election or intend to vote in support of a
majority of Republican candidates in this year’s town elections.
The convention
chair shall then compare the statements signed by the registrants and
determine voters’ eligibility. If one or more persons aren’t eligible, the
chair shall ask the convention voters if they believe the person in question
may participate by voting “yes” or “no.”
Before the
convention takes a vote, each candidate will have up to five minutes to
speak. If they do not take their full time, those in the audience can speak
in support of the candidate.
Candidates speak in
the order they filed for office.
In case of a tie
vote, the chair may make the deciding vote or call for another ballot.
The successful
candidate will face Democrat and current Clerk-Treasurer Jane Jordan in
November’s elections.