Allen County GOP and Indiana Election Law

Election Law Reform

I have researched Indiana Election Law due to the recent “loophole” that allowed the Allen County GOP to add candidates to the ballot after they failed to file a “written statement of intent” to fill those vacancies by noon on June 30th, 2006.

I feel that all of the Republican candidates who were added to the ballot on July 3rd should be allowed to run for office in Allen County. I do not think any candidates should be disqualified due to a poorly written and vague set of Election Laws.

I have contacted several experts on Indiana Election Law and I spent several hours reading Indiana Election Code. The Indiana Election Code is far too complicated and it is unclear in several places; it needs to be simplified and written so that we encourage candidates to run for office rather then require them to consult with a cadre of lawyers.

After reading Indiana Election Law I feel that The Allen County GOP did not comply with the Election Law as it is written. I do not wish to see their candidates disqualified; I wish to see the pertinent sections of Indiana Code rewritten by the Indiana Legislature.

Indiana Election Law should be written so that citizens can easily understand it. Indiana Election Law should be written to encourage citizens to run for office. Indiana Election Law should not be a barrier to the democratic process.

Indiana needs a Secretary of State that will “lead the charge” and will push the Indiana Legislature to simplify Indiana’s Election Law. Indiana needs Mike Kole. Mike Kole is the Libertarian Candidate for Secretary of State. Mike Kole believes “The law should be easy for average citizens to understand, should encourage participation from candidates of all parties, and should encourage participation by voters because their views are best represented when all parties participate.”

Mike Sylvester
Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Allen County