Marion County Election Board Meeting - August 29, 2024
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Marion County Election Board Meeting - August 29, 2024
On August 29, 2024, at 11:01 AM, the Marion County Election Board convened to approve minutes, rule on a candidate residency challenge, approve two contract amendments, and receive updates on upcoming election deadlines. Board members present: Chair Alita Stewart, Vice Chair Jennifer Ping, and Secretary Kate Sweeney Bell. Staff included Director of Elections Patrick Becker, outside counsel Brad Boswell, and Corporation Counsel Adam Miller.
Consent Calendar
- The board unanimously approved minutes from five prior meetings: March 14, April 5, May 7, May 17, and May 20, 2024. Motion carried with all voting aye.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made.
Discussion Items
- Candidate Challenge (Terencio Davis for IPS District 2): Director Becker explained that challenger Gail Cosby raised a residency issue. Mr. Davis was not registered in the district and had indicated a desire to withdraw but missed the deadline. With no challenger or candidate present, the board unanimously voted to uphold the challenge, removing Mr. Davis from the ballot.
- Contract Amendment – Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath (outside election law counsel): The amendment increased the not-to-exceed amount to $800,000 (from a prior lower cap) for the entire term (2023-2024) and extended the term through end of 2024. The increase covers unforeseen litigation from 2023 and provides cushion for expected activity through the fall. The board noted a conflict disclosure: one of Faegre’s attorneys is married to a city-county councilor, addressed via resolution 172. The amendment was approved unanimously.
- Contract Amendment – Robert Half (DBA Office Team) for temporary staffing: The amendment increased the not-to-exceed amount from $600,000 to $950,000 for the 2023-2024 term. These temps assist with ballot proofing, logic and accuracy testing, early voting sites, and operational gaps. The board approved the amendment unanimously, with Vice Chair Ping noting the necessity for accurate and efficient election administration given the board’s small full-time staff of 14.
Key Outcomes
- Upheld the candidate challenge against Terencio Davis for IPS District 2 due to residency non-compliance.
- Approved the Faegre Drinker contract amendment (increase to $800,000 not-to-exceed) with all in favor.
- Approved the Robert Half contract amendment (increase to $950,000 not-to-exceed) with all in favor.
- Next meeting scheduled for September 6, 2024 at the City-County Building, Room 260, to ratify the ballot and adopt the vote center plan.
Election Updates & Deadlines
- Clerk’s office closed at noon on August 30 and September 2 for Labor Day.
- Ballot proofs sent to political parties and school corporations on August 30.
- Key dates: Logic and accuracy testing begins September 9; absentee ballots mailed September 20; voter registration deadline October 7; early voting begins October 8; Election Day November 5.
- As of meeting date, over 640,000 registered voters in Marion County, with 2,500 pending registrations; 38,000 registrations updated since May.
- Poll worker sign-up at pollworker.indy.gov; absentee board positions through political parties.
- Goal to improve Indiana’s 50th-place voter turnout ranking.
Meeting Transcript
No, I don't see her. Good morning. We'll call the Marion County Election Board meeting to order. Uh it is August twenty-ninth at eleven oh one A.M. Uh before we get started for everyone watching, we'll do uh introductions. Um we'll start with the board first and then have uh staff and the council introduce themselves. Uh I'll start with myself and Alita Stewart, Chair. Jennifer Ping, Vice Chair. I'm Kate Sweeney Bell, Secretary Patrick Becker, Director of Elections. Brad Boswell, outside council. Adam Miller Corporation Council. All right. Thank you. Um as we get started, we'll go through first and do the approval of the minutes. I know staff sent those over to us uh earlier this week. We have minutes from March 14th, April 5th, May 7th, May 17th, and May 20th. Um were there any questions or edits to the minutes as presented. I have none, Madam Chair. Neither do I. Motion to approve the minutes from the last five meetings. I move to approve the minutes for March 14th, April 5th, May 7th, May 17th, and May 20th. Second. Okay, probably motion a second. A call row, vice chair. Aye. Madam Clerk. Aye. Okay, and show the chair voting aye. Okay. Nice. Next, um next on the agenda, uh, we have a cad candidate challenge. Um I'll ask Director Becker to give us some background on the challenge before us today. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um so uh in your packet you also have uh you should have uh the hearing procedures. Um so uh we will follow those procedures as those are current. Um and I do not believe at this time uh the challenger or the challenge candidate is present. Um but um if they do show up in the proceedings, I'm sure we can give them time. Um so the challenge before you today is uh IPS district two, uh it's a school board uh candidate Terencio Davis. Um he's being challenged based on um a residency requirement. And um in the packet of materials you have the research from our colleagues in the voter registration office uh that show um that he is currently not registered in in the district. Um Mr. Davis has subsequently um provided us information um that he uh understands he is not registered in the district, um and that he's not eligible. Um it's our understanding that his intent was to withdraw um his candidacy and he was not able to meet that deadline. Um so the the challenge before you um is fairly straightforward. It's a uh challenge by another candidate uh based on residency. Um and and the supporting documentation uh shows that he's is currently not registered in the district. Thank you, Director Becker. Um with the absence of a challenger or the ch being challenged, I guess any questions from the board. No, no. Um I guess Council do we take a take a vote on a motion and vote to uphold the challenge.
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