Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Meeting - February 17, 2026

The Lake County Board of Elections and Registration met on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 10:00 AM in the Commissioners Courtroom, Crown Point, Indiana. All board members were present in person, establishing a quorum. The board amended the agenda to conduct the candidate lottery drawing early, then proceeded through regular business including approving minutes, deferring two cases, approving an early voting site change, approving a new poll location, and approving purchase orders. Public comment included concerns about proposed state legislation affecting early voting.

Candidate Lottery Drawing

• The board conducted the statutory candidate lottery for ballot order for Democratic and Republican candidates. This was moved up on the agenda by a motion from Mr. Mellon, seconded by Ms. Candelaria Reardon.
• The drawing covered races for U.S. Representative, State Senate, State Representative, county offices, township offices, and town councils.
• Clerk Brown clarified that precinct committee persons and state delegates are placed in alphabetical order, not by lottery, as state law does not require a drawing for those positions.

Approval of Minutes

• The board approved the minutes from the January 20, 2026 meeting. Motion by Mr. Reed, seconded by Ms. Candelaria Reardon. All voted in favor.

Old Business

• Aichner v. Garza (2025-01) and Barnhart v. Cavazos (2025-02) were deferred to the April meeting without objection.
• Early Voting – East Chicago: The board approved moving the early voting site from the courthouse to the West Side Early Learning Center at 4001 Indianapolis Boulevard. Clerk Brown voiced strong support, congratulating the East Chicago chairman and the school system, and applauding the move out of government buildings. Motion by Clerk Brown, seconded, and carried unanimously.

New Business

• Poll Location for Merged Precinct G4 14 to G4 01: The board approved assigning the merged precinct to vote at Trinity Baptist Church. Benjamin Robinson, captain of the 4th district, spoke in favor, noting the church's long history as a polling place and its convenience for voters. Motion by Mr. Mellon, seconded by Ms. Candelaria Reardon, and carried unanimously.

Purchase Orders

• Purchase orders over $1,000 were approved as presented. A question about crossed-out amounts was addressed by Clerk Brown, who explained end-of-year encumbrance adjustments. Motion by Mr. Mellon, seconded by Ms. Candelaria Reardon, and carried.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Clerk Brown expressed strong opposition to House Bill 1359, which would cut early voting days from 28 to 16. He highlighted Lake County's high early voting usage, the board's award-winning administration, and urged the board and public to advocate for an amendment allowing counties to maintain 28 days. He stated that reducing to 16 days would be a disservice to voters and staff.
• Jeff Rosenhall (phonetic) argued that nearly every country except the U.S. votes in one day and expressed concerns about alleged cheating. He suggested that technology exists to determine results within 24 hours.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda amended to move the candidate lottery drawing earlier.
• Candidate lottery completed for both major parties.
• January 20, 2026 minutes approved.
• Aichner v. Garza and Barnhart v. Cavazos deferred to April 2026.
• Early voting site for East Chicago moved to West Side Early Learning Center.
• Merged precinct G4 14 to G4 01 polling location changed to Trinity Baptist Church.
• Purchase orders approved.
• Next meeting scheduled for February 24, 2026, at 10:00 AM for challenges.
• Meeting adjourned at 11:10 AM.