How to Use Your Ballot

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a series of the election guide I'm preparing for my readers. I have invited both the Kennedy and Ballard camp to make their case in a guest posting on this blog. I've also sat down with several City-County Council candidates, and am sending out e-mail surveys for others. But first, I contacted the Marion County Clerk's Office, which is currently run by Beth White, a Democrat.

I asked the Clerk's office several scenarios and how to properly fill out a ballot in each scenario. To appear completely unbiased, they use stuff like "the Purple Party" or what have you.

Each entry in this election guide will be tagged with "Election Guide". I'll also start a Page (on the right hand side of this blog) that will link to all Election Guide entries.

Remember, you need to bring your photo ID to vote in Indiana. For additional information on voting, visit Indiana Voters or contact the Clerk's office.

1. How can someone only vote for one political party's candidates?
The simplest way to cast a vote for one party's candidates is to use the straight party device. A voter would darken the oval next to political party's name, which means a vote will be cast for every candidate on the ballot for that particular party. (Do not darken the party emblem or underline the party name, which occasionally happens and does not capture the person's vote.) There is no need to darken the oval next to the candidates if you are using the straight party device and only want to support candidates of one particular party. However, a voter can choose to skip the straight party device and darken ovals next to every candidate of the same party.

2. How can someone vote in races and spread their vote across several political candidates/parties?
Instead of using the straight party device, the voter would darken the oval next to the individual candidates they are supporting regardless of party affiliation. Another option is to 'scratch.' This means a voter would use the straight party device but also cast a vote for a different party in one or more races. For example, Vicky Voter is supporting all of the Orange Party candidates except in the dogcatcher race. She wants to vote for Yellow Party's candidate. Vicky could darken the oval on the Orange Party's straight party device and then darken the oval next to the Yellow Party's dogcatcher candidate. The machine will read the ballot as a vote for every Orange Party candidate except for the dogcatcher race where the Yellow Party candidate gets her vote. Her other option would be to skip the straight party device and simply darken the ovals next to each individual candidate she is supporting.

3. Can a "straight ticket" voter vote in a race if their party isn't running a candidate in it? If so, how?
Yes. Let's say the Blue Party has candidates in all but the dogcatcher's race. Only the Orange and Yellow parties have dogcatcher candidates. A voter can darken the oval next to the Blue Party's straight party option and then select either the Orange or Yellow party's candidate for dogcatcher. The machine will read this ballot as a vote for every Blue Party candidate except in the dogcatcher's race where either the Orange or Yellow party candidate the voter selected will receive the vote.

4. It's my understanding that there is at least one write-in candidate in at least one of the races this year. What is the process of voting for a write-in candidate if the voter chooses to do so?
To vote for a write-in candidate, a voter darkens the oval next to the write-in option and writes in the candidate's name on the line provided. Only those candidates that have declared themselves to be a write-in candidate (or another declared candidate for that office) will have their votes counted. The official list of write-in candidates should be made available at theclerk's table on Election Day.

An Indianapolis Monthly Must Read

There is an excellent article within Indianapolis Monthly that focuses on the three LGBT candidates running for the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council this November. Zach Adamson has been running since 2009, made it through the county Democrat party's slating and the primary, and will be running At-Large. Tood Woodmansee and Jackie Butler were appointed by Democrat County Chairman Ed Treacy after the primary to run in council district 23 and 5, respectively. Ironically, Butler is running against Ginny Cain, one of the most anti-LGBT voices currently seated on the council.

While the overall point of the article is to show how far the LGBT community has come in Indianapolis (indeed, Indiana will be one of only a handful of states with an elected LGBT politician), it really is a great biography piece for Zach Adamson. He's a Democrat's democrat, but this guy isn't beholden to anyone. He'd be a great asset to a legislative body which is in desperate need of the type of experience and character Adamson brings to the table.

Tomorrow, I tackle some endorsements I've been reading over. Here's a preview: When you write about your endorsement process and say "all the candidates suck", you don't have to endorse someone. Just skip that district and move onto the next.

LiteBox Roundup!

Long story short: Our elected officials, including Governor Mitch Daniels and Mayor Greg Ballard, are jumping up and down about some guy's company who doesn't have a prototype, has almost no business experience, and is a huge unknown.

Digging through the Internet, I looked up this guy's "Promote My Song" venture, supposedly at promotemysong.com. I found a Facebook page...and that's about it. For a website that's supposedly been around since 2008, it isn't in the Internet Archives.

Check out the excellent reporting from the following:

Advance Indiana

IBJ

Bart Lies

Indy Star

So a CITY OFFICIAL lied to a reporter about who he is and claimed that his boss was the businessman seeking tax breaks?

Man, these guys sure are crack negotiators.

Will Tully Talk About Actual Negative Campaigning?

I apologize in advance for the weird formatting at the end. I have no idea what happened.

The Indianapolis Star's political columnist Matthew Tully has once again written a column lamenting about all the horrible negative campaigning coming from the Melina Kennedy campaign. Maybe it's just me, but I don't count talking about your opponent's record and actions as "negative". I know Tully thinks that Deputy Mayor Michael Huber is practically the Second Coming, and I like Huber as well. But come on, the Kennedy camp are raising what they believe to be valid points. Instead of just casually dismissing the criticism with a "Come on, he's a good guy! Trust me!", maybe Tully should explain why the criticism is without merit?

Or maybe he could investigate into some ACTUAL negative campaigning, such as what is being done by the state Democratic party on behalf of the Kostas Poulakidas council campaign? It's no secret that Poulakidas, with the help of his campaign chairman Kip Tew, has been a very successful fundraiser. So if I was someone who say, had a job at some type of media organization, and had the time and resources that a media organization would bring to the table, here are the questions I would be asking:

• Has Poulakidas, the county Democrats, or the state Democrats made a public statement on the negative campaigning? If not, try to get one.
• Why are the state Democrats involving themselves this deeply in a district council race? Yes, I'm aware that it's pretty common for the state parties to pay for mailers or commercials, but this seems like an unusual level of involvement.
• Has there been any transfer of funds from one campaign/political party arm to another to cover the cost of these direct mail negative pieces? After all, direct mail isn't cheap, especially if you want it to arrive on a certain day.

On another note, where in the world has Marion County GOP Chairman Kyle C. Walker been in on this? Christine Scales, Poulakidas' opponent in November's election, posted about the negative attack on her Facebook page on October 21. And still we've heard nothing from Walker to defend his party's candidate. And to the people active in the county GOP, I should remind you that Walker is drawing a salary as chairman. Bang for your buck, right?

Eric Holcomb, chairman of the Indiana Republican Party, easily does Walker's job , and does it quite well. In a press release, he ties the negative campaigning of Democrats in the Indianapolis council race into recent federal indictments on voter fraud:

Today, Indiana Republican Party Chairman Eric Holcomb demanded to know who was behind a mailer sent to residents of Indianapolis’ 4th City-County Council District in the form of a postcard from Florida purported to be from Republican Councillor Christine Scales. The postcard included a note that looked like Scales had written it herself meant to confuse and mislead voters in her district. Following the news that hundreds of signatures on nominating petitions were forged in St. Joseph County in 2008, this is yet another documented episode of Indiana Democrats caught forging the signatures and writing of individuals for their own political gain.

“You’d think the Indiana Democrat Party had learned its lesson that forgery is a crime. Obviously not,” said Chairman Holcomb. “It seems Indiana Democrats’ forgery operation has expanded to campaign mailers. So now we need to know: who’s accountable for this latest stunt? Did Chairman Dan Parker sign off on this deceptive and fraudulent mail piece?”

Holcomb added, “We have yet another example of why it’s time for the Indiana Democrat Party to clean house. Their belief that the ends justify the means is just plain wrong. In the Indiana Democrat Party’s Culture of Corruption, defrauding and misleading Hoosiers voters is the name of the game. The buck has got to stop with someone, but who?” — Indiana Republican Party

If I was Republican right now within Marion County, I'd consider having a serious talk with Chairman Holcomb about the need to clean house within the Marion County GOP leadership.

UPDATE: Over on Ruth Holladay's blog, I noted how the Star will often dismiss stories it doesn't

want to report on by either condensing it into a portion of their gossip column, Behind Closed

Doors or with Tully casually dismissing it in one of his columns. Maybe this tweet is a preview

of his next column?

Sometimes Herman Cain Has Got To Be Kidding Part III

This is Part II in my ongoing series where I post a video from the Internet because, once again, my candidate profile piece isn't finished. I wish someone would've told me how hard it is to take 30 minute conversations and transfer it into a well written, accurate piece that profiles a candidate's qualifications and the issues. I especially wish someone else would've told me before I scheduled three more interviews with candidates for later in the week.

Herman Cain, he's the pizza guy running for President. This is an official commercial from his campaign. I am not joking, not even a little. And believe it or not, it isn't even the worst video on his YouTube channel.

All board the Cain Train!

I Hope Broad Ripple Likes Having Another Bank!

It looks like the proposed parking garage in Broad Ripple is undergoing some changes. According to the Urban Indy blog (and some of their readers' comments), a drive-through is going to be put in. A second entry (but not exit) is looking to be coming from the Westfield part of the property.

Some readers seem to be saying that the parking for bikes within the structure, as well as an electric/hybrid car charging station, seems to be missing compared to the original plan.

Chris Corr claims that the zoning variance being sought is specifically for a bank.

I think Joe's comment sums things up nicely:

I am not so sure I see the electric care station or interior bike parking anymore……”tenant space 3″ is significantly smaller due to the crappy drive thru and it’s business as usual in the Indianapolis development world. I guess we shouldn’t gripe too much, for the simple cost of millions of tax payer dollars and a prime commercial spot in one of our most popular districts we are getting better bike parking……or not. We are getting better pedestrian connectivity……..or not. We are getting alternative fuel vehicle progression….or not. We are getting place based design and an active street level retail……..not so much. Wait! What are we getting? Can we put millions into a streetcar line instead?

Full disclosure: I am not an urban planner and can barely read a map, so I'm taking my friends at Urban Indy at their word. Feel free to correct me if I've misstated anything.

My Appearance on Civil Discourse Now

No new post today. The Benjamin Hunter profile is taking a bit longer to put together than I had anticipated. In the mean time, I was invited to Paul Ogden's and Mark Small's Internet TV show to talk up my council candidacy. If you are a council candidate and would like to appear on their show, Civil Discourse Now, contact Paul Ogden at pogden297@comcast.net.

The videos are embedded below.