HANCOCK COUNTY — Voters can start casting ballots in November’s election as early as next week.
Although the number of contested races is sparse for this year’s municipal general election, polls will stay open for four weeks — during weekdays and a few weekends — leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5.
Early voting begins at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8 in the Hancock County Courthouse, lasting until noon on Nov. 4. Starting on Oct. 21, residents can cast ballots at the Fortville Community Center and at the Hancock County Public Library’s branches in both Greenfield and Sugar Creek.
The Hancock County Election Board — Republican representative John Apple, Democratic representative Bob Bogigian and Hancock County Clerk Lisa Lofgreen — found the county’s voting equipment to be in working order at a public test of the machines on Thursday, Oct. 3.
Hancock County has five contested races in three of its municipalities, but two of those races have candidates who are ineligible to run for office due to a change in residency, according to county election officials. Both candidates filed as Democrats for seats on the Greenfield City Council.
Chris Beushausen, who planned to run as a Democrat against incumbent GOP councilman Gary McDaniel for the District 1 seat on the city council, told the Daily Reporter in September that he had moved to Indianapolis, making him ineligible as a candidate.
Beushausen’s name, however, remains on the ballot since he didn’t turn in a form to the Hancock County Election Office before the county election board confirmed ballots on Sept. 12.
Then, this week, another Democrat who filed to run for a city council seat, Laura Latimer, confirmed with the Daily Reporter that she’s moving out of Greenfield next week. Randy Johnson, chairman of the Hancock County Democratic Party, appointed Latimer during the summer to fill a Democratic vacancy on the ballot, pitting her against first-time GOP candidate George Plisinski II for the city’s District 3 race.
Latimer’s decision to move, which wasn’t pre-planned, she said, also occurred after the county election board’s Sept. 12 deadline.
Johnson said when candidates have to move outside of the city due to personal reasons, it’s out of his control as the party chair. He’s now looking to secure Democratic candidates for 2020.
Now, the only contested race with eligible candidates is the mayoral election. Democrat Zachary LaFavers, a 22-year-old college student, is facing off against Greenfield Mayor Chuck Fewell, a Republican who’s seeking his second full term as mayor. Greenfield’s election is the only municipal election that has a Democratic opponent.
In New Palestine and Fortville, Republicans and Independents are vying for spots on the town councils.
Republicans Tonya Drake Davis and Libby Wyatt, who beat two incumbent town council members in the May primary, and Independent Justin Crawford will challenge each other for two District 1 spots on the Fortville Town Council. Republican Becky Davis is running unopposed for District 2.
In August, New Palestine had a Republican convention for voters to pick three out of four GOP candidates who had filed for three at-large spots on the town council. Incumbent Clint Bledsoe ended being the odd man out at the convention. Two other GOP incumbents, Brandee Bastin and Jan Jarson, won, and they’re joined by Bill Niemier, a first-time council candidate and current member of the Southern Hancock School Board. Angela Fahrnow, an independent, is the fourth person running for the three council spots.
Voters in New Palestine can also vote yes or no on a question on the ballot asking if the town should expand the number of council members from three to five. Should the question pass, the three-person council in January will get to appoint two people to join the council in 2020. The two appointed members will serve for a year before they have to run for the spots the following year in a special election.
In the New Palestine and Fortville town council races, as well as in an uncontested race between two Republicans running for two at-large Greenfield City Council spots, Lofgreen said straight party votes don’t count. Voters have to darken the oval on the paper ballot for the candidate they choose in at-large and multi-member races. If they don’t follow the ballot directions, candidates could lose potential votes.
There are no contested races in McCordsville, Shirley, Wilkinson or Spring Lake in November, which means they won’t hold elections.
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The League of Women Voters of Hancock County and the Daily Reporter are sponsoring three candidate forums, in Greenfield, Fortville and New Palestine, leading up to the election. The events are free and open to questions from the public.
Fortville: 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8 at Fortville Town Hall, 714 E. Broadway
Greenfield: 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15 at the Hancock County Public Library Greenfield branch, 900 W. McKenzie Road
New Palestine: 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 at New Palestine Town Hall, 42 E. Main St.
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Greenfield Mayor
Chuck Fewell (R)
Zachary LaFavers (D)
Greenfield Clerk-Treasurer
Lori Elmore (R)
Greenfield City Council At Large
Mitch Pendlum (R)
Daniel Riley (R)
Greenfield City Council District 1
Gary McDaniel (R)
Christopher Beushausen (D)*
Greenfield City Council District 2
John Jester (R)
Greenfield City Council District 3
George Plisinski II (R)
Laura Latimer (D)*
Greenfield City Council District 4
Jeff Lowder (R)
Greenfield City Council District 5
Kerry Grass (R)
Fortville Clerk-Treasurer
Missy Glazier (R)
Fortville Town Council District 1 (pick 2)
Tonya Drake Davis (R)
Libby Wyatt (R)
Justin Crawford (I)
Fortville Town Council District 2
Becky Davis (R)
New Palestine Town Council At Large (pick 3)
Brandee Bastin (R)
Janet "Jan" Jarson (R)
Bill Niemier (R)
Angela Fahrnow (I)
Question about New Palestine’s legislative body (yes or no)
Shall the number of town council members be increased from three to five?
Cumberland Clerk-Treasurer
Erica Salmon (R)
Cumberland Town Judge
Michael Franceschini (R)
Cumberland Town Council, District 3
Anna Pea (R)
Cumberland Town Council, District 4
Breck Terheide (R)
J. Aaron Cutshaw (D)
Cumberland Town Council, District 5
Joseph Siefker (R)
*Candidate is ineligible for office due to residency status
Source: Hancock County Election Office
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Hancock County early voting sites:
Hancock County Courthouse
Weekday hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 8 to Nov. 1
Saturday hours: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 26 and Nov. 2
Last day of early voting: 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 4
Fortville Community Center
Weekday hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 21 to Nov. 1
Saturday hours: 8 a.m. to noon Oct. 26 and Nov. 2
Hancock County Public Library, Greenfield and Sugar Creek
Monday through Thursday hours: 2-7 p.m. Oct. 21-Oct. 31
Friday hours: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 25 and Nov. 1
Weekend hours: 1-4 p.m. Oct. 26-Oct. 27; Nov. 2-3
Source: Hancock County Election Office
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In order to vote in Nov. 7 election, residents must register to vote by Monday, Oct. 7. Residents have until the close of the business day on Monday to register in the Hancock County clerk’s office and until midnight Monday if registering online at Indianavoters.com or on the Indiana Voters app available on iPhone and Android devices.
In order to be eligible to register to vote, you must:
• be a citizen of the United States,
• be at least 18 years old by Election Day,
• have lived in your precinct for at least 30 days before the election; and
• not currently be imprisoned after being convicted of a crime.
Source: Office of the Indiana Secretary of State
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