One of the Indiana legislature’s omnibus election law bills has been amended again, so that now, if current Republican Secretary of State Charlie White is removed from office, the office will go to the Democratic nominee. White is fairly likely to be removed soon, because he registered at a precinct at which he didn’t live, and also voted in that precinct. The existing law, which would continue to be in place if the bill passes, says the office goes to the candidate who came in second, which, of course, is the Democratic nominee.

HB 1242 had been amended in the Senate to change the law on succession, and to say that when most state offices become vacant, the Governor may fill the vacancy. But on April 26 the House had rejected that amendment. Now, the bill’s author, Representative Kathy Richardson, is amending the bill again to keep the new succession rules but to make them effective at a point in the future, so that the change won’t apply to the 2010 Secretary of State race. See this story. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.