08/12/2024
August 11, 2024
Last week the Indiana Recount Commission reviewed the results for the H49 race in Elkhart County and the H40 race in Hendricks County west of Indianapolis.
I called for a recount of the H49 race because of several strange circumstances, including:
Internet Issues: The internet went down at the Granger Community vote center on election day.
Previously a poll worker was told the machines use the “same back channel” as our 9-1-1 service, preventing a disruption in the internet connection.
Welp, that didn’t age well.
And I remember when the phrase “the machines aren’t connected to the internet” was absolutely true. Until, of course, it wasn’t. While the net was down, Elkhart County’s ES&S e-poll books allowed voters to sign in and vote because, according to the Clerk’s office, all information is downloaded once the internet reconnects. This is not reassuring because poll books also produce practice ballots to train poll workers and practice ballots can be voided. If practice ballots can be voided, it is not clear what mechanism is in place to protect valid votes from being voided.
Media Blackout: There was a complete media blackout on the H49 race even after the other House races in the state had been called.
This does not build voter confidence.
SOS Website: The Secretary of State’s website reported different numbers than what the media had been reporting.
The final numbers on May 10 were changed from what was reported on May 9, while the total number of precincts reporting remained the same. This makes no sense.
On May 9 with 98.5% of precincts reporting, the SOS website showed Representative King with a 718 vote lead. Then on May 10 –still with 98.5% of the precincts reporting– the numbers were changed to match media numbers with Representative King having a 1,758 lead.
To date, I have not been given an explanation for this.
While some are critical of my decision to seek a recount because the results of the election were not close, a close election is not required to request a recount and I complied with our recount statute and paid a non-refundable bond.
I do not take lightly the votes that were not certified due to the recount process. Fortunately, those votes did not alter the outcome of any race, unlike in the poorly executed 2022 Concord School Board race where the election board threw out 1,199 votes, removing the winning candidate.
For these reasons I stand with the RNC Return to Excellence in American Voting Resolution that includes hand-counted paper ballots and one-day voting.
While some bristle at the cost of the recount (which will be finalized in October), those same people cast their ballot for a legislator that voted for a $7.2B budget increase. Let that sink in.
The State Board of Accounts (SBOA) did an excellent job administering the recount and I am grateful for their work. Unfortunately, the recount by its nature cannot reveal all the possible ways an election can be compromised. The recount only examines the ballot cards and computer tallies. It cannot evaluate whether either of those things were tampered with in the first place. The recount itself revealed a few concerning things about Elkhart county’s election administration and statewide election administration in general:
1. The recount start was delayed because the voting machine test report from the county was late after repeated requests for it by SBOA.
2. Vote Center 17 was missing poll worker initials on 22 ballots. While we saw no evidence of fraud, tampering or misconduct, and these votes were counted, this sloppiness is concerning. It makes me wonder what else was overlooked, missed or not done that a recount could not by its nature reveal.
3. The defensiveness and hostility I faced from opposing counsel and others for even asking for a recount. If there is nothing wrong and the other candidate legitimately won, a recount is an opportunity to show that the system is honest, secure and effective.
As a side note one of my recount volunteers, Sondra Sixberry, was caucused in as the Montgomery County Clerk shortly after the recount and may end up being the first Clerk in the state to implement paper ballots. Go Sondra!
A huge thank you to the Elkhart County patriots who continue to honor life, protect children, and defend liberty. We may have a challenging season ahead of us as a state and a nation, but I believe we will see justice served and our republic restored.
I look forward to working with each of you in the coming season of revival and reformation. Our best days are ahead of us! Blessings to all!
