On April 29, the Indiana legislature passed HB 1242, an omnibus election law bill. One part of the bill clarifies that even if Republican Secretary of State Charlie White is found to have been ineligible to run in 2010, the Republican Party is still ballot-qualified. Indiana defines “political party” as a group that polled at least 2% for Secretary of State. There is some possibility that White will be found ineligible to have run, because he may not have been registered to vote properly in 2010. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for this news.
If White is found ineligible, the Democratic nominee from 2010, who placed second, will assume the office. But if White resigns before that happens, then Governor Mitch Daniels, a Republican, can appoint a replacement. Or if White is found guilty of the crime of voting at a precinct at which he did not live, the Governor could replace him. However, White is fighting to clear his name and is not expected to resign.
Very frustrating that the rules suddenly change when it looks like one of the 2 big parties is in trouble. If you ran an ineligible candidate, you should suffer the consequences. No freebies because you’re currently in charge.
Look the two parties are all in the same club. You can find them having a drink at their special watering hole joking about the legislation they passed or didn’t pass. That’s why someone said there’s not a dimes difference between the two parties.
Richard – Unless you’ve seen the final text of the bill as passed after the House/Senate compromised, and it has been changed, my understanding is that the Governor will NOT be able to name a replacement for White, even if he resigns or is forced out of office by the criminal indictment (7 felony counts, including 3 for voter fraud).
Please feel free to point me to the information where you got the details reported in your second graf, as my reporting has it that the Gov will only be able to appoint a new SoS in *future* situations like this one. See my coverage last night here: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8501
As the point you make in the *first* graf, that the GOP will be allowed to stay on the ballot, that’s a very interesting point and I was going to add it as an update until I got to your second graf, and saw what I believe to be incorrect info. So hoping to sort that out first! Feel free to email me with those details if you like.
It was a mainstream newspaper story that I depended on. It said that whether the Governor can appoint a new Secretary of State all depends on which way the old Secretary of State leaves office.
Which paper? Doesn’t look like you linked. The sources for that part of my report (linked above) was AP: http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Indiana-lawmakers-drop-plan-tied-to-White-case-1357380.php
That report notes that the House/Senate compromised needed to still be passed by both chambers (and then, presumably, signed by the Gov.)
So if you had a new report, and the compromise had changed or failed, I’d love to get a look at it.
ALL elected executive offices should be NON-partisan — before it is too late.
The U.S.A. is in party hack decline — just like the Roman Republic from 120 B.C. to 27 B.C. — the Tyrant-Emperor Augustus Caesar takes over.
Lots of MORONS love having a tyrant-dictator — UNTIL they get high taxes or get themselves or relatives killed in wars.