Citizens interested
in running for office can still get on the ballot for the November local
election.
Per Indiana Code,
Michael Simpson and Jeffrey Chidester, Porter County’s respective Republican
and Democrat party chairs, have until Sunday, June 30 to directly appoint
eligible citizens to fill ballot vacancies in local races. All the proper
paperwork must be filed with the Porter County Clerk’s office by Wednesday,
July 3.
Libertarian ballot
vacancies are filled by town conventions hosted by the state Libertarian
committee, and have the same deadline, according to the 2019 Indiana
Candidate Guide.
There is only one
contested race in Duneland at the moment--incumbent Chesterton
Clerk-treasurer Stephanie Kuziela (R) is facing Democrat challenger Courtney
Udvare. The Chesterton Tribune checked in with the party chairs to
see if any Duneland ballot vacancies have been filled ahead of the deadline.
Chidester said he
may have found someone to run against incumbent Chesterton Town Council
member Lloyd Kittredge, R-2nd, pending approval of paperwork, though he
hasn’t gotten a lot of interest from citizens who want to be appointed to
fill Democrat ballot vacancies.
Chidester said
those interested are still welcome to call his cell phone, (219)712-8081.
“I’ll look at their voting record and talk to them to make sure they’re
competent to do the job,” Chidester said.
Chidester noted
that some Portage and Valpo residents have expressed interest in running as
independents or as minor party candidates. Such candidates are required to
file a petition of nomination with a certain number of signatures from
registered voters who reside in the district the candidate seeks to
represent.
“Anyone that’s
gonna do that, I would encourage them to get more signatures than they need
because some people who sign might not be registered,” Chidester said.
Simpson reported he
hasn’t found anyone to fill Republican ballot vacancies in Duneland: “It’s
quite a process, interviewing and talking to people and gauging their
interest.”
Simpson is also
still willing to hear from interested citizens. “We’re still welcoming
people who want to come to the table,” he said. “It’s always an open
process. We’re always willing to talk.”
Any Porter County
Republicans interested in being appointed to fill a ballot vacancy should
email Simpson at michael.pcgop@gmail.com
Minor Parties/Small
Towns
Meanwhile, minor
party candidates and independents should be in the process of gathering
petition signatures.
Minor Party and
Independent candidates must file a Petition of Nomination and obtain the
signatures of a certain number of registered voters in the district where
they are seeking office. That number is equal to 2% of the number of votes
cast for Secretary of State in the respective district in the 2018 general
election. This number is decided by the County Clerk’s Office, per Indiana
Code.
Petitions are due
July 1 to the Voter Registration office, where staff will check each
signer’s registration status and residency. Petitions certified by Voter
Registration are due to the Clerk’s Office July 15, according to Becky
Rauch, deputy clerk in the Clerk’s Office elections division.
Rauch said major
party candidates in Dune Acres, Beverly Shores, and Town of Pines may file
for candidacy until Aug. 1, since those Towns have decided by resolution not
to hold primary elections.
As of the Feb. 8
filing deadline for major party candidates, only four candidates, all
Democrats, had filed to compete for five at-large seats on the Beverly
Shores Town Council.
Who’s Eligible?
To be eligible to
fill a ballot vacancy, citizens must meet the requirements to run for office
in the State of Indiana and all requirements specific to the office sought.
A resident of Chesterton or Porter wishing to fill a ballot vacancy for Town
Council must live in the respective voting ward he or she is seeking to
represent. Beverly Shores and Burns Harbor do not have voting wards, so
candidates may live in any part of Town. Candidates for clerk-treasurer may
also live in any part of Town.
Candidates must be
registered to vote in the district they seek to represent and must have
lived in the district at a primary residence for at least one year prior to
the general election.
A candidate for
office may be an employee of the same government unit he or she is running
to represent, but must resign if elected. Candidates may be employed by one
local government unit and be an elected officeholder in another.
Citizens who have
been convicted of a felony or pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony
charge (or a felony charge that was later reduced to a Class A Misdemeanor)
may not run for local office, per Indiana Code.
General information
on running for office can be found in the 2019 Indiana Candidate Guide. The
Guide, and all candidate filing forms, can be found at