Lake County Board of Elections Meeting – October 21, 2025

The Lake County Board of Elections met on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at 10:00 AM in the Commissioner's Courtroom, Crown Point, Indiana. All five board members were present: John Reed, Mike Mellon, Mike Brown, Mark Candelaria Reardon, and Matt Fetch (serving as proxy for Chair Kevin Smith). The meeting covered approval of minutes, a contentious discussion on precinct consolidation, a school corporation reorganization plan, a disputed polling location change, mover contracts, routine approvals, and early voting updates. Several votes were along party lines, reflecting increasing partisan division.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: Motion to approve the minutes of the Board Meeting of September 16, 2025, passed unanimously (5-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public spoke during the public comment period.

Old Business

• Secretary of State Order Consolidating and Establishing Precincts for Lake County, Indiana: Board member Mike Brown expressed concerns that the Secretary of State made changes to precinct consolidations that were not in the agreement between the board and the state, and that unauthorized persons made recommendations. He made a motion to correct all unauthorized changes. The motion passed 3-2 along party lines (Brown, Candelaria Reardon, and Fetch in favor; Reed and Mellon opposed). The minority party (Republican) had submitted their objections to the Secretary of State after the original 3-2 vote, which led to the disputed changes.

New Business

• Tri-Creek School Corporation Reorganization Plan: The school corporation submitted a plan changing its districts from Cedar Creek to Creek West Creek (Districts 1, 2, and 3). It was approved by the Indiana Board of Education. The board noted that the map is not contiguous (unusual), but the school corporation is not required to follow contiguity rules. The board voted 5-0 to accept the report as an acknowledgement.
• County Authorization Form (Precinct Key): Along with the reorganization plan, the board approved (5-0) the county authorization form to update the statewide voter registration system. Board member Mike Brown also noted that Gary School Board districts were removed from the record since they are no longer elected.
• Primary 2026 Request for Polling Location Changes: A request to move two precincts (G326 and G43) from Patcher Park Pavilion to Love Feast Church (2456 Chase Street, Gary) was submitted by the Democratic Party chair (Mike Brown). The Republican Party proposed an alternative location: Frankie Woods McAuliffe Academy (3757 West 21st Avenue, Gary). The Democratic chair argued the church is safer and more convenient, while the Republican chair highlighted the school's free rent and ADA compliance. Board members expressed differing views on using schools versus churches. Ultimately, the board decided to defer the decision to the next meeting (November 1, 2025) to allow the Republican chair to present their proposal in person. The deferral motion passed 5-0.
• Movers Contract: Two mover contracts (Free Movers and Bill's Movers) came in at the exact same price. The contracts were approved by the Lake County Board of Commissioners. The board voted 4-0 with one abstention (Matt Fetch, who serves as attorney to the commissioners) to accept the contracts.
• Correspondence: A legal notice placed in the newspaper was accepted as part of the record (5-0).
• Purchase Orders: The board approved purchase orders as presented (5-0).

Key Outcomes

• Vote on Secretary of State Precinct Order: Motion to correct unauthorized changes passed 3-2 (Brown, Candelaria Reardon, Fetch in favor; Reed, Mellon opposed).
• Tri-Creek Reorganization Plan: Accepted 5-0.
• County Authorization Precinct Key: Approved 5-0.
• Polling Location Change (Gary): Deferred to next meeting (November 1, 2025) by a 5-0 vote.
• Movers Contracts: Approved 4-0 (Fetch abstained).
• Correspondence and Purchase Orders: Approved 5-0 each.
• Next Meeting: November 1, 2025 (Inspector Saturday) – Commissioner's Courtroom, 10:00 AM.
• Early Voting Update: Early voting is ongoing for Lake Central School Corporation referendum and Hanover Community School Corporation referendum. Three early voting locations are open. Inspector training is scheduled for Saturday, November 1, 2025, and Wednesday, October 29, 2025.