INDIANAPOLIS – Lawmakers want to make it easier for candidates in primary elections to name election observers, also known as poll watchers.
A political party’s state chair or county chairs can appoint watchers to precincts in which the party is on the ballot. They can inspect a precinct election officer’s work, receive a signed summary of the vote, stay at the polls until tabulations are done, accompany an inspector and judge in delivering the tabulation and election returns, report potential violations, and more.
Party candidates can get their own watchers appointed, but current law requires at least 26% of candidates from the same political party to sign a written statement.
That’s “an incredibly high hill to climb,” said Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendleton.
His legislation, Senate Bill 199, drops the threshold. Just two or more candidates would have to sign the statement.
Hoosier Janet Vernon called the proposal a “commonsense improvement” in testimony before the Senate Elections Committee on Tuesday, which Gaskill leads.
“When party chairs fail to act, it’s unrealistic to expect multiple candidates to coordinate and take on this responsibility during the demanding election season,” she said.
She and others asserted the change would boost election integrity.
Read more of the Leslie Bonilla Muñiz story for the Indiana Capital Chronicle, here.
