Rep. Young survives ballot challenge

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Todd Young will be on the GOP primary ballot in the race for U.S. Senate.

The state Election Commission rejected two challenges to his ballot status Friday.

It was a tie vote, 2 to 2, on a motion to accept two challenges to Young’s eligibility to be on the ballot and the tie vote means nothing changes.

One challenge came from his primary opponent, Marlin Stutzman. The other from the Indiana Democratic Party.

They argued that Young failed to turn in the necessary 500 petition signatures in the First Congressional District, instead turning in 498 by their count. Demcrat Commissioner Anthony Long agreed.

“I’ve seen nothing from the voter registration folks in the counties in this district that certify anything different than what they certified the first round, 498,” he said.

David Brooks, Young’s attorney, argued that county clerks certified that he turned in 501 signatures and therefore met the requirement. Commission Chairman Bryce Bennett saw it the same way.

“We are not being asked to do anything more than we should be doing,” he said, “which is to uphold the intent, spirit, and purpose of the voter registration laws to allow the citizens of Indiana to be enfranchised, to vote their will.”

It’s possible that the Stutzman campaign or the Democrats could now take this matter to court.

The likely result, however, is a contested primary between Stuzman and Young that will be even more hotly contested than it would have been otherwise because of hard feelings created by the challenge.