INDIANAPOLIS — During the latest episode of “All INdiana Politics,” candidates for the Indiana Secretary of State position, Republican Max Engling and independent Greg Ballard, presented their plans to address the controversies surrounding the office under former Secretary Diego Morales.
Engling, who secured the Republican nomination, emphasized his commitment to transparency. He plans to work closely with the state’s independent inspector general to conduct an audit of the office. Engling stated, “The IG doesn’t operate in a fashion where you tell them what to do. It’s an independent inspector general. We want to make sure we’re giving them the information that they need.”
To enhance election security, Engling suggested modifying driver’s license background colors to help poll workers verify voters’ citizenship. He also proposed extending early voting hours to better accommodate working residents and cleaning up voter rolls to increase participation in a state known for low voter turnout.
In contrast, Ballard, who served as Indianapolis mayor from 2007 to 2015, called for a criminal investigation into Morales’ time in office. He remarked, “What you’ve been reporting on, what everybody knows publicly, is hardly most of what’s been going on in that office. It’s just like an iceberg.” Ballard aims to eliminate partisan politics from the secretary of state office entirely and proposed creating a precinct-level voter guide to educate voters about candidates and issues.
Ballard also advocated for replacing partisan members on election and recount commissions with administrative law judges and wants to maintain the current 30-day early voting period, countering a proposal to shorten it.
Both candidates acknowledged issues with Indiana’s business licensing portal. Engling, who has personally navigated the system, found it “pretty straightforward” but believes it could be more user-friendly. He aims to tackle fraudulent trucking companies that refile LLCs to evade liability.
Ballard proposed simplifying the business registration process to make it more efficient with fewer clicks needed. He also suggested lowering filing fees, extending the re-registration period beyond two years, and including links to support organizations like SCORE and the Small Business Administration.
The candidates will compete against Democrat Beau Bayh and Libertarian Lauri Shillings in the upcoming November election. Political analyst Lacey Berkshire noted that Indiana’s longstanding support for Republican candidates could benefit Engling, despite his late entry into the race.
“All INdiana Politics” airs at 9:30 a.m. Sundays on WISH-TV.
