Lake County Board of Elections Meeting - August 18, 2026

The Lake County Board of Elections held its regular meeting on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the Commissioner's Courtroom, Crown Point, Indiana. All five board members were present: Chairman Kevin Smith (D), Clerk Michael Brown (D), Ms. Mara Candelaria-Reardon (D), Mr. John Reed (R), and Ms. Charlene Foss-Eggemann (R). The meeting covered campaign finance penalties, polling location changes, early voting plans, and a new public communications plan.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (July 21, 2026): The minutes from the July 21, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously by voice vote.

Discussion Items

• Campaign Finance – Jeremy McShirley: Mr. McShirley, a write-in candidate, appeared in person. His statement of organization (CFA-1) was 26 days late and his finance report (CFA-4) was 12 days late. The board imposed statutory fines of $1,000 per violation, then unanimously reduced them to $10 and $20 respectively, citing substantial justice.
• Campaign Finance – Brenda J. Miley: Ms. Miley submitted a letter requesting leniency for the same violations. The board imposed statutory fines and then unanimously reduced them to $10 (CFA-1) and $20 (CFA-4).
• Campaign Finance – Michelle Heaps Whitbrock: Her report was three minutes late via email. The board imposed and then unanimously waived the statutory fine entirely.
• Annexations: Staff presented annexation notices from Crown Point (6), Hobart (1), Lowell (1), and St. John (1). The board took no action; the annexations were noted for the record.
• Poll Location Changes – 2026 General Election: Changes involved three locations in Merrillville, two in Gary, and one in Griffith. Specific precincts were merged or relocated due to construction or space issues. The board unanimously approved the changes and noted that affected voters would receive postcard notifications.
• Early Voting Locations and Hours – Resolution 2026-08: The resolution established satellite early voting sites and hours beginning October 6, 2026. All locations were the same as the spring election, with the East Chicago site confirmed accessible. The board unanimously passed the resolution (5-0 roll call).
• Public Communications Plan: A draft plan was presented by Communications Specialist Tracy. Ms. Foss-Eggemann raised concerns about bipartisan oversight, content approval, and data security. Chairman Smith proposed an interim policy allowing posts only if both Director Michelle and Assistant Director Lori approve. After discussion, the board voted to defer full approval of the plan to the next regular or special meeting, with the interim rule in effect. The motion carried (4-1, with Ms. Foss-Eggemann opposed).
• Purchase Orders: The board approved purchase orders over $1,000, including materials for provisional ballot instructions, after clarifying they are printed in-house.
• Counsel Reports: Counsel reported that two referendums (School City of Crown Point) had scrivener's errors corrected and are now ready for the ballot.

Key Outcomes

• Campaign fines imposed and reduced for three candidates (McShirley: $10+$20; Miley: $10+$20; Whitbrock: waived).
• Poll location changes unanimously approved.
• Early voting resolution 2026-08 passed unanimously (5-0).
• Public communications plan deferred to a later meeting; interim rule requires approval by both Director and Assistant Director before any posts.
• Purchase orders approved.
• Next regular meeting: September 15, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the Commissioner's Courtroom. A special meeting may be called sooner to finalize the communications plan.