Intro

Erika Malone 0:02

This week, on a special episode of Beyond the Headlines, the election. Candidates have been out in force across Johnson County to get your votes. We'll take a look at each contested race that will be decided on Tuesday. And wondering where to vote and what you'll need, we have the details you need. From the Daily Journal, this is a special episode of Beyond the Headlines Primary Election 2026 preview. Hello, everyone, and welcome back. It's Eric Malone here again with Noel Crenshaw. How are you doing?

Noah Crenshaw 0:32

I'm good. It's been a busy week. And this will be a very busy episode, too, for you guys, but it's important.

Erika Malone 0:38

Yes, this will be uh this will be a probably a longer uh episode than what we normally do uh since elections are upon us.

Noah Crenshaw 0:46

Oh yeah. And you know, we are recording this a day earlier than we usually should record on Fridays, recording us on Thursday. And you know, early voting's underway. It's the final few days.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Mm-hmm.

Noah Crenshaw 0:57

Today's Thursday. Uh Friday is another day, Saturday, and then Monday, and then Tuesday, it's election day, and those ads you've been seeing on TV and those mailers and all the signs may uh calm down a little bit for a little while until things pick back up again.

Erika Malone 1:13

You won't get so much mail after election day, hopefully, unless you know you have your your annual bills or junk mail, but or if you're a political junkie, you're probably gonna be really sad for the next few months because you're not gonna get any mailers.

Noah Crenshaw 1:25

So we have to acknowledge there's two sites to every coin. Yeah. I know Facebook's had a lot of opinions about this. I've seen it in all the local chatter groups.

Erika Malone 1:32

Yes, yes. We've seen that, and uh yeah, well, what do you say? We should get into uh all the contested races that we'll uh we'll actually be covering, you know, on election day will be at voting places as well. And there's lots of races.

Noah Crenshaw 1:46

Oh yeah. And just one little uh programming note. Normally we do have a segment called uh oh yes beside the story and uh you know um our round table.

Erika Malone 1:55

Yes, yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 1:55

Thank you. Okay.

Erika Malone 1:56

We did we did we're cutting out our round table for this episode just because of how many contested races there are. But we promised next episode we'll be back to our, you know, little uh our little special round table about what's going on.

Noah Crenshaw 2:09

Yeah, we'll have also have an election recap in that episode and we'll introduce you to our newest reporter who is Hallie.

Erika Malone 2:17

Yes.

Noah Crenshaw 2:18

She's actually listening right now, she's kind of just watching to see what the podcast is like before she joins.

Erika Malone 2:22

Yes.

Noah Crenshaw 2:23

So we have an observer in our conference room slash studio together. But anyways, let's get to the election, right?

Erika Malone 2:32

Yeah, go ahead.

Noah Crenshaw 2:33

So what first we're gonna talk about the contested races. There are 15 contested races across the county. There's some there's one federal, there's a couple state, and the rest are like local, whether it's the county council, township, trustees, township board, and then uh three towns actually have council races this year.

Erika Malone 2:55

Yes.

Noah Crenshaw 2:56

And then after that, just so you guys have an idea of what to expect, we're gonna talk about what you should know before you go to the polls, whether it's on Saturday, the day this comes out, Monday before the voting ends, for there's only a few hours on Monday. And then on election day, which is you know obviously the big day.

Erika Malone 3:13

Yeah, yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 3:14

It's six to six all day.

Erika Malone 3:16

Yeah, and what you'll need to bring as well.

Noah Crenshaw 3:17

Yes, yes. We'll have we have all that covered, and we'll even have even more on our website. So stay tuned over the next uh several days.

Erika Malone 3:24

Yeah. All right, take it away, Noah.

Noah Crenshaw 3:27

Yes. So

Indiana's 6th Congressional District

Noah Crenshaw 3:28

we're gonna start from the top uh with Congress. So Johnson County is uh covered by one congressional district, and that's the 6th district. Um, there are actually contested primaries for Republicans and Democrats.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Okay.

Indiana's 6th Congressional District: Republicans

Noah Crenshaw 3:41

We're gonna start with the Republicans just because that's the party of the incumbent. There's also two candidates in that one. There's four in the Democratic one. Uh so first uh I'm gonna give you guys a little bit of an overview. So the Republican primary for the 6th district uh features incumbent Jefferson Shreve. This is his first, the second time seeking election. He was just elected in 24, and his challenger, Sarah Janice Brown. And for those who aren't familiar with the 6th district outside of Johnson County, like it includes Johnson County, includes the southern townships of Marion County, and also includes parts uh or all of counties like Bartholomew, Fayette, Hancock, Henry, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Union, Wayne counties. Uh Bartholomew, it's actually part of the district, which used to include Johnson County, also is part of that county down there. Um, and the winner of the Republican primary, whoever's nominated by uh Republican primary voters across this multi-county region, will face one of four Democratic candidates, who we'll get to here in a minute.

SPEAKER_01 4:48

Okay.

Noah Crenshaw 4:48

And I think there may also be some others like a libertarian or independent who may come out. They have different piling designs that are not part of the priority process.

Erika Malone 4:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:59

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 4:59

For this. Um, there's only Republican-Democratic primaries for Indiana.

Erika Malone 5:03

Yeah. And we've seen a lot of, you know, well, and I'm sure you've seen actually a lot of uh, you know, signs.

Noah Crenshaw 5:07

Yeah, and signs aren't necess signs are an indicator of like a a people's support, but isn't necessarily all. You know, there could be people who just don't have signs out, or some people just who just don't like having signs and they support them. Yeah. And they like to keep it kind of private. Because you know, ultimately, your vote is your vote. You know, it's a very private.

Erika Malone 5:27

Yeah. So, but um, tell us a little bit about um Brown and Shreve and you know, kind of their background. Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 5:35

So Sarah Brown, she's from Greenwood, she's the founder of the Think and Tree, which is this education. She's like an education publisher. She also was on the Fortville Town Council in the early 2010s, around that era. Okay. Jefferson Shreve is from Indianapolis. He's a businessman. He was elected to Congress in 24. Uh, he used to be on the city county council. He did run for mayor of Indianapolis in 2023 as a Republican. He wasn't elected. Joe Hawk uh was re-elected in that race.

Erika Malone 6:05

So they both have some government experience. Well, you know, uh they both have government experience.

Noah Crenshaw 6:11

Yes, yes. Different types of governments, like Indianapolis is in that unique situation because of Uniga, which is why City County Council. But these are people who have kind of um both have government experience and a business like starting up kind of experience.

Erika Malone 6:26

Yeah. Well, what are some of Brown and Shreve's motivations for running? I know we we've talked to them individually as well, um, or at least you have. Yeah. And uh so kind of share a little bit about their motivations and background.

Noah Crenshaw 6:37

Yeah. So with Shreve, he's seeking re-election to continue the efforts House Republicans have made under the Trump administration. You know, he's highlighted accomplishments like efforts to defund Planned Parenthood from the federal perspective, you know, expanding school choice tax credits and border security investments. And, you know, in my conversation with him, he said, you know, that his that, quote, his yes vote matters in a narrowly divided Congress because Congress is like the Republican majority in Congress right now is very slim. That's why there's a lot of effort to elect Republicans in the congressional level across the country this year and in Indiana too. And uh Sarah Brown, she entered the race because she felt voters weren't being represented. Uh, she criticized True's past NRA rating, which um he actually got an F during the 2023 primary.

SPEAKER_01 7:32

Oh, okay.

Noah Crenshaw 7:32

Or when I say 2023 primary, sorry. The 2023 mayoral election in Indianapolis is based on some of what he said his issues of stances were. She said uh the voters don't deserve someone who the sorry said the voters deserve someone who doesn't have an F rating. And I will note that Shreve has since for this election, he actually received an endorsement from the NRA because of his votes in Congress.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Oh, okay.

Noah Crenshaw 8:00

So he had the F rating for the mayoral thing, but in terms of this election, there is the thing was endorsed, which is the complete opposite, really.

Erika Malone 8:10

So the it's kind of shifted a little bit as well.

Noah Crenshaw 8:13

And I also would say like the audience is probably different because Indianapolis tends to skew more liberal democratic. So that was probably a factor in past statements. I don't know. This is my guess.

Erika Malone 8:25

And he received that rating in 2023, so it's been a few years now as well.

Noah Crenshaw 8:31

And one other thing about Sarah Brown is uh for her campaign, she's running on themes about you know, sanctity of life, remind trying to remind government-elected officials that the rights were uh given by God when it comes to our freedoms. And you know, the idea of making sure families are healthy.

Erika Malone 8:48

Okay. Yeah. Well, kind of share a little bit about the Democrats.

Indiana's 6th Congressional District: Democrats

Noah Crenshaw 8:53

Well, um, as I said, there are four Democrats competing for the party's nomination. Similarly, you know, whoever gets nominational face, the Republican, whether it's Shreve or Brown and whoever else, independent libertarian, who anyone else who could pop up from outside those two major parties. I'm just gonna kind of go through each candidate real quick, if that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 9:14

So first we have William Corey Amex. He is 46. He's a senior financial aid officer in higher education. He's from McCordsville. This is his first time running for office. Uh he is running because he's motivated by a belief that the government should work for everyday people and not the wealthy or quote well-connected interests. He has a background working within systems like education and financial aid, which he says shapes his focus on affordability, wages, healthcare access, public education, and public safety.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

Okay.

Noah Crenshaw 9:48

Next, and I will note, it's interesting because with the Democrats, there are there's one one person at the beginning of the alphabet. There's two there's one A, there's two Bs, and there's a W, which is a wide variety. This interesting kind of like space. Yes. So next we have Nick Baker. He is an attorney, he's 46. Um, he currently lives in Indianapolis, but he's recl relocating to the Cambi area. Um where he lives in Indianapolis is technically not in the sixth, but he's in the process of moving when I talked to him a few months ago to Cam.

Erika Malone 10:19

So it still makes him eligible then.

Noah Crenshaw 10:21

Well, actually, for Congress, you don't actually have to live in a district to run for it. Oh, like other offices. It's it's interesting. I don't know why that is the way it is, but it just is like a lot of state and local offices require that, but Congress, at least for the US House, doesn't. Um, but all these candidates either live or are about to live in the 6th district.

SPEAKER_01 10:43

Okay. Yep.

Noah Crenshaw 10:44

To my knowledge. But anyways, uh, Mr. Baker is a first-time candidate. He identifies himself as a conservative Democrat. He was the only of the four. He was the only one who's kind of marketed himself like that. He uh says he's motivated to run due to concerns over the national debt and the fiscal impacts of the one big beautiful Bill Act, which was the big bill last year that um had some funding cuts, some tax, like no tax on tips, no tax on overtime. Right. Those were implemented through that. It's one of the things that Shreve on the Republican side uh has touted as some of the House Republicans' accomplishments. There are some Democrats who wouldn't call it accomplishment. Right. They would have different periods.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 11:25

Yeah. Mr. Baker emphasizes unity. He also emphasized bipartisan problem solving, and uh he wants to see a major overhaul of the healthcare system in order to kind of help rein in and stabilize the budget and you know, especially with the national debt and all that.

Erika Malone 11:42

Right.

Noah Crenshaw 11:43

Next we have David Boyd. He is also from Indianapolis, he is 41. He's a licensed catastrophic uh or a catastrophe insurance instructor. So dealing with very specific type of insurance, which I also didn't know this type of insurance like specialty existed until I talked with him. So you learned something. That's kind of cool. Yeah. He's a Navy veteran, and he's also a first-time candidate. A lot of these Democrats we'll see throughout this have been first-time candidates as we continue to go down the list. He is motivated to run because he has concerns about affordability and the belief, he also has the belief that strong leadership and bipartisanship are needed to address complex issues. So similar to Baker, kind of like talking about the need for more bipartisanship to get stuff done, because I know that's been a concern among a lot of people. Um he's also running because he wants to strengthen democracy and prove and he's also running because he wants to strengthen democracy and improve conditions for working families. He has a broad set of priorities, which include healthcare, housing, jobs, and public safety. And next that we have Cindy Wirth. She is not a first-time candidate. She previously was the Democratic nominee for the district in 22 and 24, but she wasn't elected. She's 56. She is a scientist and small business owner for Columbus, so down in Bartholomew County. She's motivated to run because she has a belief that Hoosiers deserve better outcomes in healthcare, housing, wages, education, environmental protection. Uh her campaign's kind of when we talk with her, she's focusing on the idea of universal single-payer health care, which some people have called like Medicaid or Medicare for All. I always confuse Medicaid and Medicare.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

Right.

Noah Crenshaw 13:23

Apologies. That's why I'm saying both, because I know it's one of the two. I always forget which one it is. Um and uh she also wants some more support for rural communities and small family farms. And uh, she's kind of touting like a sort of long-standing civic and policy experience to challenge the status quo. And uh all these summaries were taken from our interviews with them. So I encourage you guys, we'll put a link in the description, but to go to our website to look at our election stories where you can see our Q ⁇ A's and get even more details about these candidates because there's so much we could say from our interviews, but we need to keep it concise for your sake.

Erika Malone 14:00

Yeah. So you're not falling asleep. But I will say a lot of uh um these candidates that uh we'll mention throughout, uh, some of them also appeared at our voter forum that was a few weeks ago as well. So if you had the chance to go and check out if you had the chance to attend that, you might have uh seen some of these candidates and also hear their values and uh opinions on certain uh things that they want to see change as well.

Noah Crenshaw 14:24

So yeah, and I will say for the for this race, I believe all four Democrats were there, and so was Sarah uh Brown from the Republican side. I think they all spoke during that uh I guess I don't know if I would call it a QA, but during that first half where it was like you respond to like a question.

Erika Malone 14:42

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 14:43

So it's kind of like a Q ⁇ A, but not like a full QA, you know?

Erika Malone 14:46

And that that voter forum also allowed time for residents to kind of speak with their candidate that would be representing their community as well afterwards. So yeah. But so that was only that's only the federal contested

Statehouse races

Erika Malone 15:00

race, and we have some at the state house as well. So let's talk a little bit about that too.

Noah Crenshaw 15:06

Yeah, so um for the most part, our state house races are primarily GOP primaries, except for one district that has a GOP and a Democratic primary, and which we haven't really seen a Democratic primary in that district in a while. Um, but we'll get to

Indiana Senate District 41: Republicans

Noah Crenshaw 15:20

that. Uh, we're gonna talk about first race that everyone's been talking about. We've all heard about it, which is Senate District 41, the Republican primary.

Erika Malone 15:28

You've seen the mailers, you've seen the ads.

Noah Crenshaw 15:30

We talked about it briefly last week. Yep. So let's give you an overview of this. So District 41, Senate District 41 includes southern half of Johnson County and Alberthommy County, and it features two uh state lawmakers running against each other, one's the incumbent, one's uh not the incumbent. So Greg Walker, he's the from Columbus, he's the a five-term incumbent, is facing a challenge from Michelle Davis, our state rep in Whiteland. She's seeking to move from the House to the Senate. They uh both have what they would call Republican credentials, but they differ in legislative approaches, priorities, and views on issues like redistricting, local control, property, taxes, and education prop or education policy. I almost said property. I don't know what education property is, but that probably has to do with the school owning land.

Erika Malone 16:21

Yes. Uh you got that right.

Noah Crenshaw 16:24

Maybe some other stuff. I'm not an expert.

Erika Malone 16:26

No. But yeah, some of those um views and issues that they take a different approach on have been big topics, especially within their ads and mailers, as well as kind of bringing up those different views as well. But kind of share what are they, what's motivating them to run.

Noah Crenshaw 16:41

So I'm gonna start with Michelle Davis. I'm gonna mention a little bit more about her background and we'll talk a little bit about the motivations. So uh she actually has some leadership roles in the House right now, including being vice chair of the House Education Committee. She's also an assistant majority floor leader. And for her, she's had her eyes on potentially running for Senate for at least a little while from what she said. She's motivated to run because she believes District 41 has not been well represented and that her con that that her conservative priorities differ from Walker's. She was a strong supporter of mid-cycle redistricting as a way to increase uh conservative representation at all levels of government. When conservative, I mean conservative Republican. She also emphasized uh when we talked, asked her some questions about property tax relief, about having more for seniors and working families. Uh, she's also spoken about school choice, workforce education reforms, and reducing government interference while still supporting local control. She uh tends to favor deregulation and individual decision making, and including with some safeguards against fraud. Greg Walker, um, he's been in the Senate for a while. Uh he um is on he's chair of the Senate Family and Child Children's Services Committee. I believe I have the title of that committee correct. He initially planned not to seek re-election and he publicly said so. But he reconsidered after a period of personal grief following his wife's death, saying he feels ready to serve again, and also because of the developments of redistricting. Injury everyone knows about. I'm not gonna get too much into it. We use that because we've all talked about it, heard about it so much over the last year or so.

SPEAKER_01 18:27

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 18:27

But he opposed that and he argued it would undermine election fairness voter trust since the stating maps were approved recently in 2020, 2021, and uh were based on valid census data. He kind of focuses on fiscal caution, fairness and property tax policy, and preserving local control while allowing state intervention, while allowing state intervention when equal protection or public safety is at stake. He also takes a measured approach to education reform. Um he supports the limits on cell phone use, similar to Davis, during school hours. But uh he also wants to guard against overly rapid policy changes that could harm schools and educators.

Erika Malone 19:09

Yeah, that's been a big topic, uh, especially in education policy as well, uh, about these kind of rapid changes and um if they're uh if they're going too far or not.

Noah Crenshaw 19:20

So you know, and with that, we're gonna shift out of the Senate to this House.

Indiana House District 57: Republicans

Noah Crenshaw 19:26

Uh, we're gonna start with our first contested race, which is House District 57, which is a race you actually interviewed some candidates for, Erica. I did talk to us about that.

Erika Malone 19:36

Yeah, so uh just kind of an overview of that. Um in this race, there's four Republicans that are competing in the May primary for Indiana House District 57. And this seat is open because incumbent Representative Craig Haggard is running for Congress in the Indiana's fourth district. And uh for people that might not know what the House District 57 includes, it's parts of White River Township and areas in Morgan and Hendricks counties. And the candidates in the GOP primary are Wes Bennett, Greg, and then in quotations, noble not. That's been kind of his That is his official name on the ballot. That's his official name on the ballot is Greg Noble Not, and it also has something to do with you know his campaigning as well. Uh Rob Stiles and Tina Turner. Yes, Tina Turner, not the musician, rest in peace, but Tina Turner the candidate.

Noah Crenshaw 20:29

Yes.

Erika Malone 20:30

I just want to make that clarification.

Noah Crenshaw 20:33

We do need to say there was actually a post, uh, was it Cynergrove chatter a few weeks ago where someone said, I saw Tina Turner sign and I was very confused or something. Yeah.

Erika Malone 20:41

Yeah. I think yes, which I'm sure has, you know, brought some laughs, you know. But yes, uh Tina Turner the candidate and not the musician.

Noah Crenshaw 20:49

Um so what what are motivating these candidates? Talk to us a little bit about what's uh that and what's uh their backgrounds.

Erika Malone 20:56

Yeah, so let's start with Wes Bennett. He's a former Plainfield Clerk Treasurer with extensive local government and GOP leadership experience. And uh during my interview with him, he said he feels a moral and faith-driven calling to serve and encouraged uh by long-standing relationships across Indiana. And he also brings experience in municipal finance and policy, emphasizing fiscal responsibility and local control. So, yeah, lots of uh lots of government um and municipal experience there. And then Greg Noble Knott, he's a network administration from Cambi and a repeat candidate for the seat. He's motivated, motivated by a belief that government favors donors and insiders over average citizens. And he's running on a six-point platform focused on reducing government complexity, lowering healthcare costs, ending perceived unfair policies, and increasing transparency. And for Rob Styles, he is a Greenland resident, so he is, I believe, the only Person that is in Johnson County.

Noah Crenshaw 22:02

Well, for the Republicans.

Erika Malone 22:04

For the Republicans, yes. So he's a Greenwood resident and a senior director for donor relations at the Salvation Army. And he's a first-time candidate as well. He says he's running because he has a specific results-driven goals rather than generalized party talking points. And he emphasizes discipline, collaboration, and practical problem solving informed by nonprofit leadership experience. So using his Salvation Army experience in with his campaigning is kind of the approach that he's taking. And Tina Turner, she's um she's a Madison Township clerk from Mooresville with Deep Roots and Republican grassroots organizing. She's uh entered the race after years of political involvement, saying the time, you know, the timing is just right now, um, that her children are grown and the seat is open. And so she with that, she brings local government experience and a perspective grounded in township level services and community needs.

Noah Crenshaw 23:01

Okay. And um, I will note there is a Democrat running in this race. Uh her name is Suzanne Fortenberry. She's also from Greenwood, uh, but she's not contested in her primary, so we're not gonna go into detail about that race at this time. But yeah, when we get into October ahead of the November election, we'll get into more detail about that, yeah. And you'll see some cut more coverage about both whoever the Republican uh nominee in this race is and her at that time.

Erika Malone 23:27

Yeah. But let's go up a district to number 58 and let's see what's happening there.

Noah Crenshaw 23:33

Yeah, isn't it interesting?

Erika Malone 23:34

We have 57, 58, and 60.

Noah Crenshaw 23:38

We skip 59. Yeah. We we skip like between we skip essentially 10 spots to get to 57, and then we skip one. It's just it's just interesting how the numbers work out.

SPEAKER_02 23:50

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 23:50

I'm not I'm not sure who's in charge of that, but it's just interesting. I'd love I know it's part of the when they redistrict like the local state house districts and stuff, but I'm just curious how that works, how those numbers are chosen. Yeah. And if they like you have if some are switched around across the state.

Erika Malone 24:06

If anyone uh in government, I guess, is listening that might know why, let us know.

Noah Crenshaw 24:12

Yeah, I wonder if like they try to keep them like consistent not to confuse people, or if we've ever thought about just saying, let's just make number one in Marion County or something instead. Yeah. I don't know. I'm curious. I'm curious. Anyways,

Indiana House District 58: Democrats

Noah Crenshaw 24:24

yeah, so District 58. This is the one I kind of mentioned earlier where there's both a Democratic and Republican primary happening, which we don't really have a Democratic primary for these statehouse districts, at least that often, at least not in recent years. Um we're mainly we're mainly uh re Republican uh you know Yeah, I mean like there are Democrat candidates, but there's never been like there's not necessarily a whole lot of primary.

Erika Malone 24:49

Right. There's usually just there's mainly Republican primaries.

Noah Crenshaw 24:52

Yeah, like like they're not contested, there's usually only one. So the fact we have a Democratic contested primary for a state house race is something we haven't really seen in a little bit. So District 58, um, that's Michelle Davis's little district. And since she's running for Senate, the seat's fully open. So it's up for grabs for whatever party and the people from those parties. This district is only in Johnson County, unlike the other state house districts. It covers north and central Johnson County, including Greenwood, Whiteline, and New Island, which is some of the most populous areas of the county. For the Democrats, there are two people running. There's Eric Reingart and Michelle Hennessy Sears. They're seeking the Democratic nomination. Whoever gets it will face the Republican and the general. Uh Eric is the from Greenwood. He's 23. He works.

Erika Malone 25:39

He is a young one. Yes.

Noah Crenshaw 25:40

He's probably the youngest candidate I think we have for our contested races in Johnson County.

Erika Malone 25:45

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 25:45

And he works in sales. He uh previously held a communications role at Spire Johnson County while completing while completing a college degree. Uh uh Eric is motivated to run because he has concerns about housing affordability, property tax policy, and the difficulty young adults are facing entering the housing market. He is a first-time candidate. He was drawn into politics recently by opposition to the recent property tax reforms, and he's been advocating for alternative tax models that could encourage housing development. He's emphasized expanding the housing supply, reforming taxes, boosting public investment in healthcare and child care, and ensuring large corporations pay more of the tax burden. Now, his Democratic opponent is Mish as like I said, Michelle Sears. I heard Michelle Hennessy Sears. She is 40. She is from Whiteland. She is a certified behavior analyst and is an owner, CEO of an autism therapy clinic clinic in Greenfield. Be clear, Greenfield, not Greenwood. Just so we were once.

Erika Malone 26:52

It's to the uh east? Yes, yes.

Noah Crenshaw 26:55

East of here, northeast of here. Yes. Um she entered a race due to concerns about Medicaid policy changes affecting individuals with disabilities and providers, which she believes the changes uh are ignoring dat data and uh harming vulnerable populations. Like Eric, she is a first-time candidate. And kind of keeping the turn, a lot of these Democrats have been first-time candidates. There have been some Republicans too, but there are we have a lot of incumbents and some of these other races that are contested and who are contested and they're incumbents. But she's motivated to run based on her experience running a small healthcare business and seeing the impact state policy has had on care delivery. She's focused on funding Medicaid and rural hospitals, increasing teacher pay and special education resources, addressing housing quality and wages, and expanding child care access through regulatory reform and new revenue sources.

Erika Malone 27:54

Interesting. I will say I think uh it's a little refreshing to kind of see a a young uh young candidate coming up in uh these elections as well. It's not one that we see very often.

Noah Crenshaw 28:05

Yeah, and we have a few other candidates who t who are actually under 40 as well.

Erika Malone 28:09

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 28:09

Which we'll get to literally in the next page. Yeah.

Erika Malone 28:14

Yeah, so kind of tell us a little bit about the the Republicans. Yeah.

Indiana House District 58: Republicans

Noah Crenshaw 28:18

So there are three Republicans in the Republican primary. There is Ed Brickley, John Reed, and John Young. They each have different professional political backgrounds. We're gonna start with Ed Brickley. He is from Greenwood, he's 56. He's a retired police sergeant and uh who is now working in real estate. Um he says his entire adult life has been a call to serve and is motivated by a desire to continue the work that Davis has done and to protect conservative gays in the district. Um, he, since he is a retired police officer, you know, it kind of makes sense he would identify public safety as one of his top priorities. He has concerns about crime and spillover effects from Marion County and different policies and things happening there. Um John Reed is another one of these young candidates. He's 33.

SPEAKER_01 29:09

Okay.

Noah Crenshaw 29:10

He is also from Greenwood. He's the Dean of Students at the Indiana Baptist College, which is also in Greenwood. He's motivated to run by an interest in good governance, safety, education, desire to raise his children and a strong community. He's a first-time candidate. And just like uh all these people, well, just like Ed is also a first-time candidate, I should say. He decided to run after the seat open sync, saying he feels prepared and eager to make a difference at the state house.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

Okay.

Noah Crenshaw 29:37

And then we have John Young, who is 46, he's an attorney, he lives in Whiteland. And he has a uniqueness in that he was previously a state representative from 2016 to 2022. He represented District 47, which was the Franklin and all that. Um he uh wasn't re-elected uh because in the primary uh Rob Green, who was our current state rep for that district, beat him in the primary. And so Young now lives in Whiteland.

Erika Malone 30:08

So now he's he's back.

Noah Crenshaw 30:10

Yeah. Uh and he's motivated. Like I said, he was a state rep. Uh he has some um unfinished work that he wants to continue to work on, and he has a desire to bring experience back to the legislature, particularly on the issues affecting local governments and schools. You know, he has some experience as an attorney for some of the local governments here. He also emphasized careful lawmaking that avoids, quote, one size fits all solutions. And uh he uh also respects local control while recognizing uh statewide impacts some of the state house decisions can have.

Erika Malone 30:44

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 30:44

So we have one more contested house district to go through, which is uh district 60. Erica, you want to take it away?

Erika Malone 30:52

Yeah, absolutely. So for this one, we have three Republicans that are competing in the GOP primary

Indiana House District 60: Republicans

Erika Malone 30:58

for ending a House District 60 ahead of the May election. And for House District 60, it includes parts of Morgan and Johnson counties. This race features uh Representative Peggy Mayfield of Martinsville. Uh, she served as the general in the General Assembly for 14 years against two challengers, Michael Moore of Martinsville and David Waters of Greenwood. While Mayfield emphasizes experience in incremental lawmaking, both challengers argue the district needs new leadership in a different direction. So let's talk a little bit about uh some of their motivations and their background a little bit. And Peggy Mayfield, she's a the Republican incumbent from Martinsville. Like I said, she had 14 years of legislative experience. Uh, she brings continuity and institutional memory, allowing her to build policy graduate and follow through on long-term initiatives. Uh, she kind of highlights past uh legislative accomplishments and frames her role as continuing efforts to improve Indiana's economy, housing availability, education, and tax policy. Michael Moore, he's a first-time candidate from Martinsville with a background in public safety and military service. And he decided to run after becoming more politically engaged and believing the state could have handled certain uh decisions, such as toll roads better. And he kind of presents himself as a grounded hoosier, motivated by first-hand experiences in law enforcement and emergency services, emphasizing service and accountability. And then the other candidate, David Waters, he's like, again, he's a Greenwood resident, and a repeat legislative candidate who previously ran for another House district, and he positions himself as an anti-establishment candidate, arguing longtime lawmakers are unwilling to challenge entrenched systems. And he's kind of running as a self-described zero-dollar donation campaign, saying he wants voter support rather than financial backing to bring real solutions and principles to the state house. So a lot of uh a good variety of uh, you know, viewpoints viewpoints and different approaches there.

Noah Crenshaw 33:06

Yeah. So there's clearly a lot going on with these upper government levels, but uh all government is local, that's a famous political adage. So let's get to the real local races, and that's county council, town tip trustees, and boards and town councils. So, Erica, you want to take away with our first uh couple?

Erika Malone 33:32

Yeah, so let's talk about county council first. Uh, there's two contested GOP primaries, District 2 and 3. And in District 2, there's three Republicans that are competing in the GOP primary. Uh, the district two seat is open because incumbent John Ditmars

Johnson County Council District 2: Republicans

Erika Malone 33:49

is not seeking re-election. So this brings up Republican candidates Ron Deere of Greenwood, Norm Gayhart of Franklin, and Brian Moore of Greenwood. Um, I had the opportunity to interview all three of them. And the District 2 includes most of Franklin, Whiteland, and New Whiteland, along with uh parts of Greenwood and portions of Pleasant and Franklin Townships. And if you want to look more into that, you know, their viewpoints and their background, again, you can go to our website. We have stories on all of those candidates as well.

Noah Crenshaw 34:20

Yeah. So um, but just for the sake of our uh listeners, let's talk about their backgrounds briefly.

Erika Malone 34:26

Yeah, I'll uh I'll try and make this brief. So Ron Deere, he's 77. So he's um, I think the oldest out of um these primary candidates in the GOP race. So, and again, he's a Greenwood resident. He's retired with decades of public sector experience. He previous previously served 24 years on Greenwood City Council and four years on the Johnson County Council, along with long careers at the Marion County Health Department and Indianapolis Airport Authority. And he says he's running to continue unfinished work and apply his experience to priorities such as public safety, public health, infrastructure, and employee retention as well. And then Norm Gaphart, he's 64. Franklin, he's a Franklin resident and retired Whiteland town manager. He has been involved in local government since the mid-1980s, serving as Whiteland town council member and in administrative roles with multiple municipalities. That's a mouthful. Can you try to say multiple municipalities five times fast?

Noah Crenshaw 35:31

I would rather not.

Erika Malone 35:33

Anyway, he says public service has always been in his blood and emphasizes his dual experience in legislative and administrative roles, especially in budgeting and levy management. And then we have Brian Moore. He's 63, he's a Greenwood Greenwood resident, and he works at Luca Pizza and is a repeat repeat candidate for public office. I know he's he's ran a few times as well. He's motivated by a desire to represent taxpayers and opposition to county to council pay raises when some county employees did not receive raises. And he frames his candidates candidacy about being a voice for everyday taxpayers, emphasizing fiscal restraint, public input, and opposition to raising taxes on working residents. So those are those are the candidates for the County Council District 2 race.

Johnson County Council District 3: Republicans

Noah Crenshaw 36:24

Okay. So what about uh the next district, which is coincidentally one number up District 3?

Erika Malone 36:30

Yes. So we have two Republicans that are competing um for that race. There's John Price, he's a former state and county office holder, and Jay Arnold, he's a longtime law enforcement officer. Uh the district three seat is open because incumbent Jonathan T. Myers is also not seeking re-election and is running for Pleasant Township trustee. District 3 includes most of Greenwood and parts of Pleasant and Clark Townships. So let's get into these candidates. So Jay Arnold, he is 53, a Greenwood resident and detective with the University of Indianapolis Police Department and retired Greenwood Police Department Deputy Chief. He says he's running uh out of the desire to continue serving his community after retiring from local police work, viewing the council role as a and views the council role as a civic responsibility. Uh he brings experience with first responder operations and departmental budgeting, with priorities centered on fiscal conservatism, infrastructure, and fully funding public safety services, which again, being a former law enforcement officer, you know, public safety is a big is a top priority for him. John Price, he is 73. He's a Greenwood resident, former state representative, county council member, county commissioner, and current Greenwood Plan Commission member. So lots of government experience as well. He entered the race after encouragement from residents and local officials, citing long-standing ties to Johnson County and decades of public service. And he emphasizes a deep experience in government budgeting and administrative administration, collaborative leadership, and focus and a focus on saving taxpayer money while maintaining essential services.

Noah Crenshaw 38:15

Wow. So there's a lot of choices in both those races, a lot to weigh.

Erika Malone 38:21

Yes. Yeah, absolutely.

Franklin Union Needham Township

Noah Crenshaw 38:23

And so we're gonna move now from the county level to give you guys some in the Franklin area, a little look at some of the Franklin area races. And specifically the Franklin Union Township, if you are part of the joint township, you have two contested Republican races, both trustee and board.

Erika Malone 38:43

Yeah, and that's been an interesting one to follow as well, I I imagine.

Noah Crenshaw 38:48

Yeah. So

FUN Township Trustee: Republicans

Noah Crenshaw 38:49

um, let's start with the trustee race, if that's all right. Yeah. So first we have uh incumbent Lydia Wales, who is seeking her fourth term. Is she's facing off against Jodi Alvey, who currently works at the town of Trafalgar, but she was Fun Township's former deputy trustee. They have served together at the trustee's office at the same time. Uh, they now differ sharply over the role and priorities of the position. So Lydia, uh, she's had office for more than a decade, which predates the merger of the three townships and the fund. She was the Franklin Township trustee before it merged and continued after and was elected again in 2022. She helped lead the efforts that kind of helped consolidate the township. She was kind of at the forefront, I should say. She says she's running to finish the work she started, particularly advocating for township consolidation as a model for statewide reform. She points to accomplishments including like cost savings from merger, from the merger, quote, innovative assistant programs and some statewide recognition for the township and her leadership she's received. Um, if re-elected, she wants to continue, or sorry, if re-elected, she wants to expand local programs like local home pair assistance while continuing to promote consolidation across Indiana. Now, Alvi, she res she was Lydia's uh deputy trustee. She resigned last year in 2025, along with some other staff members. She was motivated to run outright for trustee because she has concerns that the trustee's office has lost focus on core services for residents in need, as you know, the consult this the advocacy efforts for consolidation have taken place. That's kind of her argument. She brings her experience as a caseworker, office manager, and deputy trustee, emphasizing day-to-day operations and direct assistance to township residents. She wants to refocus the office on poor relief, improve responsiveness and transparency, rebuild partnerships, and she's made a pledge to serve no more than two terms if elected.

Erika Malone 40:54

Interesting. Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 40:55

There's no particular term limits for a trustee. So if there are going to be any kind of limits, it's up to the candidate themselves.

Erika Malone 41:03

Oh, okay.

Noah Crenshaw 41:04

The the state doesn't really prescribe that to my knowledge.

Erika Malone 41:07

Interesting.

Noah Crenshaw 41:08

And there's some offices they do, but not not a lot of them have like sheriff has a term limit.

unknown 41:13

Right.

Noah Crenshaw 41:14

For example. Like that's established in the law of the trustees, I don't think they've done it.

Erika Malone 41:18

That's an interesting point to make uh as well. She said that she would serve no more than two terms if elected. So yeah.

FUN Township Board, Union Township: Republicans

Erika Malone 41:25

But uh what about the township boards?

Noah Crenshaw 41:28

So in that race, there's a little bit of what I would call deja vu because they're it's again it's Republican primary, but the two candidates who are facing each other faced each other four years ago. Oh in 2022.

SPEAKER_01 41:41

Okay.

Noah Crenshaw 41:41

So it's a little bit of deja vu in a way. And this is for Union Township, which is the like the Bargersville, includes like old old town Bargersville and a lot of like rural Union Township. The areas between like Bargersville and Trafalgar and Hensley Township begins. And some parts. It's most Bargersville's like the biggest area. There's some smaller towns. Or I should say towns like Hamlets, I think is the term. Which is Hamlet's such a weird term. But but it is a real term, it's a real word for a community. Look it up. Hamlet. Don't use Chat GPT. I mean, you could, I won't stop you if you did, but you can look it up, find out Wikipedia.

Erika Malone 42:22

I'll stop you if you use Chat GPT.

Noah Crenshaw 42:25

It's to each of their own. But um, so in this uh little bit of a 2022 matchup part two, incumbent Don Barr is seeking a second of consecutive four-year term after first winning a seat in 2018 and being reelected in 2022. Uh Justin Griggs is once again challenging her. He lost the Republican primary in 22. And the Fun Township Board includes representatives from Franklin, Union, Udem Townships. There's one, it's a three-member board, there's one from each township, and they all advise the trustee on budgets and services, residence, and need. So depending on who a trustee is, whoever gets the seat regardless, they're going to be advising over the trustee is. So Don Barr, as we said, she's the incumbent. She served as Union Township, she served as a Union Township board member from before it merged into Fun Township. And, you know, she was re-elected, and it's first outright election post-merger. She's motivated by a passion for helping residents, and she wants to continue improving township services, especially as Union Township and then we have the Burgessville area grows. She highlights her experience, her community ties, and successful programs the township, the joint whether it's the joint township has taken uh on during her tenure her tenure. If reelected, she helps to better educate residents about township services and promote the benefits of township mergers statewide. Justin Griggs, he's a Barcelona police officer. Uh, he also in addition to Ranford Township Board, he's also ran for county council in the past. He wants to give back to the community and bring more. Attention to the township board's role and responsibilities. He's emphasized fiscal oversight, competitive contracting, and balancing a township's budget, particularly as the post-merger township continues to evolve, adapt. He also wants to increase awareness on Union Township presence by available township assistance and services. So that's something kind of similar to Barr in that regard. They both want to make sure the residents in Union Township know that they're there to help them. Yeah, yeah, like that fun township's there, ready. Yeah. The help from what it sounds like.

Erika Malone 44:32

Yeah. Nice. Um yeah. Well, let's shift to some of our last races that we have, and let's I say we just start in alphabetical order.

Noah Crenshaw 44:40

That works

Bargersville Town Council At-large: Republicans

Noah Crenshaw 44:41

for me.

Erika Malone 44:41

Beginning with Barkersville. So there are two Republicans that are competing in the GUP primary for one at large seat on the Barkersville Town Council. Uh the candidates are incumbent Andrew Greenwood, who's uh on the town council, and Kevin Killinger, a firefighter and former town employee. I believe he was the uh utility manager. And the winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Michael Chiapetta in the general election as well.

Noah Crenshaw 45:09

Yeah, and there's something new with this election for Bargersville, right?

Erika Malone 45:13

Yes, there is. So this election is part of Bargersville's new council structure, which recently created numbered districts for the first time while retaining one at-large seat. So, uh, and I'll just get into a little bit about the candidates as well. So Andrew Greenwood, he's the uh incumbent. He's served on Bargersville Town Council since 2020, and he works as an attorney in real estate development. He's running to continue progress on responsible growth, public safety, infrastructure, and quality of life amenities. He emphasizes fiscal conservatism, balanced budgets, and maintaining the town's character as it grows, as we're seeing Bargersville grow a lot in population. He also highlights experience navigating development issues and supporting long-term planning, including trail connectivity and increased housing diversity. Now, Kevin Killinger, the Republican challenger, he's the he's been a Bargersville firefighter for 30 years and the former utilities director of the town, which I mentioned, with prior council service from 2012 to 2013. So he did serve on the council for a year. He says he's running because he wants to remain involved and help finish projects he helped start, particularly related to utilities and staffing. And he focuses, he wants to focus on improving staff compensation and benefits, increasing transparency, and managing growth more carefully. And he advocates for greater discussion of affordable housing, enhanced oversight of utilities, and expanded recreational facilities and amenities as well.

Noah Crenshaw 46:48

Oh wow, so there's a lot of lot to consider in that race.

Erika Malone 46:52

Yes, there is, especially with a growing town like Barkersville.

Noah Crenshaw 46:55

Oh, yeah. And you know, this isn't the only town council race.

Edinburgh Town Council At-large: Republicans

Noah Crenshaw 46:58

We're gonna ship now to the next one in the alphabetical order, Edinburgh.

Erika Malone 47:02

Yep.

Noah Crenshaw 47:02

On the southeastern end of the county.

Erika Malone 47:05

We're skipping uh C and D, and we're going to E, but again, it's still alphabetical.

Noah Crenshaw 47:11

We didn't we didn't name the places.

Erika Malone 47:12

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 47:14

But yeah, there are three Republicans competing for two at-large seats on the town council. Two of them are incumbents, Deborah Buck and Marshall Ryan Piercefield. And there's also challenger Robert T. Deakin, who is a former business owner in Franklin, who lives in Edinburgh. There are no Democrats or third party candidates who have filed for this election so far. Things could change, people could be slated, or someone independent could file. But if none of that happens, the primary will effectively determine the council's makeup.

SPEAKER_01 47:44

Okay.

Noah Crenshaw 47:45

And so these council members they serve four-year terms, and they're responsible for setting policy, passing ordinances, and overseeing town spending, stuff like that. So for Deborah Buck, uh, she was first appointed to the council in 2019 and then elected in 2022. Uh she has a background in human resources. Uh, she says she she enjoys being part of Edinburgh's growth while preserving its small town character. Her priorities include strengthening police and pensions, uh revitalizing downtown, expanding parks and recreations programs, and prepare and preparing their utilities there for future housing growth.

Erika Malone 48:23

Interesting.

Noah Crenshaw 48:24

Next we have the other incumbent, uh, Marshall Ryan Piercefield, or just commonly goes by Ryan Piercefield. Uh he was elected in 2018. He is a retired Franklin Firefighter and paramedic. He's now the co-owner of a utility company. This is new information for me. I didn't realize he co-owned a utility company. He uh was motivated uh by what he calls unfinished business and a desire to continue progress made by town leadership. He's kind of focusing on fiscal responsibility amid expected property tax revenue losses, which we talked about, property tax that property tax cuts a few times before on here, infrastructure efficiency, and quality of life projects like trail systems, indoor creation facilities and a refurbished town pool.

SPEAKER_01 49:09

Ooh.

Noah Crenshaw 49:10

And lastly, we have Robert Tadekin. I hope I am pronouncing that right. He has 20 years of business experience, and as I said, he used to own a business in Franklin. He is actually an appointment member of the Edinburgh Redevelopment Authority. He is running because he wants to bring change with an emphasis on communication, fiscal discipline, and controlled growth. And he's advocating for using models from successful small town revitalization efforts for the town, including focusing on downtown redevelopment, infrastructure planning, and defining community values before growth accelerates.

Erika Malone 49:44

Awesome. Yeah.

Prince's Lakes Town Council At-large: Republicans

Erika Malone 49:46

Well, how about we go uh further west for our last race to Princess Lakes Town Council at large? Sound good to you?

Noah Crenshaw 49:54

Okay. Absolutely.

Erika Malone 49:55

There are five Republicans competing for seats. Candidates are incumbents Lindsey Henson and Brian Tierman, along with former council president Greg Nelson, Parks Board President Catherine Gleason, and first-time candidate Autumn Swayere. No Democrats or third-party candidates have filed, making the primary decisive for who will serve on the council, same uh with the previous race you talked about. And let's go ahead and into some of uh their background and motivations. So, Catherine Gleason, she's a community volunteer and president of Princess Lakes Parks Board, and she's running to protect the town's small town character and support uh sustainable planning. She emphasizes responsible development, infrastructure, upkeep, parks, investment, and environmental preservation. Lindsay Henson is the current council president. She was caucused in 2023 and elected in 2024 with a background in banking and town administration. And she's motivated uh by providing uh she's motivated to provide steady leadership, improving residents' quality of life and supporting town departments and infrastructure. Um, and then Greg Nelson. He's the former council member and retired Franklin firefighter, aiming to return to assist ongoing projects and help residents resolve local issues. He wants to focus on maintaining infrastructure, public safety, parks improvements, and preserving Princess Lake's small town feel. I feel like that's what a lot of candidates want to do is preserve Princess Lake's small town feel. And then first on candidate Autumn Swayer, uh, she has a background in public service and county election and county elections administration, and she's running to promote fiscal responsibility, infrastructure maintenance, transparency, and family-focused governance while keeping growth controlled. And lastly, we have Brian Tierman. He's an incumbent vice president with decades of utility experience, and he was caucused in 2022 and elected in 2023. He uh seeks to keep the town thriving through infrastructure upgrades, expanded parks and recreation, and growing the town's utility service area for revenue stability.

Noah Crenshaw 52:10

And uh to note something about this, you may be wondering some of these years are seem a little there's some odds and some evens. Well, Princess Lakes actually changed their election year years ago, and so as part of that, there were some I don't I guess you could say some quirks because of that. So some people had shorter terms.

SPEAKER_01 52:31

Oh, yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 52:32

So that's why some of these they were like they're elected in 2023, uh, or uh elected in 2024. It's because that switch happened. Gotcha.

Erika Malone 52:40

That makes sense.

Noah Crenshaw 52:42

So some people got shorter terms and some people didn't. It was just kind of random.

Erika Malone 52:46

That makes more sense.

Noah Crenshaw 52:47

So this is the f I think this is really the first election that's fully since that's happened, where it's now gonna be on a more consistent four-year cycle. Because you may be wondering, well, some of these years are a little off, like some are four years, some are a little shorter, some are a little longer. So that's why they had some changes to move them to uh even numbered years a few years ago.

Erika Malone 53:07

Gotcha. Yeah. Well, I think that's I think we covered all the race, all the contested races. Yes, for the primary.

Noah Crenshaw 53:12

Um

Voter FAQ: Where you can still early vote

Noah Crenshaw 53:13

but we're not done with you guys. Uh sorry, that kind of sounded threatening. That's not what I meant to do.

Erika Malone 53:21

Please email us.

Noah Crenshaw 53:23

Yeah, uh, I I apologize if I sound threatening. I just love elections, I'm excited. But now we're gonna go over a little bit of some frequently asked questions. We usually run this in the paper. We're still running in the paper, don't worry. But I we want to give you some highlights because there are some things you definitely know before you go to the polls, whether it's on election day or in these last few days, as early voting concludes. And I'm gonna let Erica start off talking about early voting.

Erika Malone 53:48

Yeah, so uh early voting is still happening. The voters are able to cast their ballots today, uh, which is Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Johnson County Courthouse. If you don't know where that's located, look for the big government building. But if you need an address, it's five uh East Jefferson Street in Franklin. Um there's you can also go to the White River Public Library, the Greenwood Public Library, the and the Trafalgar Public Library, and also the John R. Drybred Community Center in Edinburgh. And the last chance to vote early is Monday from 8 a.m. to noon at the courthouse in Franklin.

Voter FAQ: Where you can vote on Election Day

Erika Malone 54:28

But the main day for voting is still gonna be election day, which is Tuesday. And Noah, how about you take it away and tell people where people can vote? Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 54:38

So on election day, which is Tuesday, if just in case you need to know, it's this Tuesday. If you're listening to this episode, you probably have already learned it's Tuesday, but I just want to make that clear in case you're skipping through. You never know.

SPEAKER_01 54:50

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 54:50

We're gonna have headings on this. If you're on like app apps like Apple Podcasts, you know, you can actually click the headings and go to certain parts. Same with our on our website.

SPEAKER_02 54:59

Yes.

Noah Crenshaw 54:59

Uh so on election day, there's gonna be 15 sites open across the county. They're gonna be open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. That's the full period. That's by law, that's the state hours. And they're all over the county, like every part of the county. You can drive to one, you'll you can get to one. So we're just gonna go in order. They kind of go in order from north to south for the most part. So we have in Greenwood a lot of options, which makes sense because there's a lot of people who live in the Greenwood, northern parts of Johnson County. We have Mount Auburn Methodist Church, Mount Pleasant Christian Church, the White Liver, the White River Public Library Branch, which Erica kind of mentioned, are doing double duty, uh, community church or Greenwood, uh specifically the main entrance for your is where you need to go in. Uh Greenwood Christian Church, Greenwood Public Library, again, go through the East Door. There'll also be signage for all this. Greenwood Bible Baptist Church. Uh and now we're gonna go outside Greenwood, and we're gonna go to Grace House in New Whiteland, which was formerly it's kind of on the Whiteland Greenwood line, but it was formerly Grace Assembly of God. There's also the Clark Pleasant uh Library Branch in Whiteland off 31 in Clearwater. There's also Bargaswell Town Hall, the Franklin Parks Recreation Center, the Trafalgar Public Library, the Princess Lakes Town Hall, the John R. Driver Community Center in Edinburgh, and Scott Hall at the County Fairgrounds in Franklin. Do not go to the courthouse. I have to say this, because every year someone will go to the courthouse because it's been open for early voting so long, which makes it as natural. But um, the courthouse is not a voting site. There will be election officials there, but they're gonna be monitoring the situation throughout the whole county. Counting they're not gonna be a machine for you to vote on for them. Go to these other places I mentioned. Go to the courthouse.

SPEAKER_01 56:47

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 56:48

Um to vote. Yeah. Unless you're voting on Saturday or Monday. Those are the only two days that are left at this point.

SPEAKER_01 56:54

Yeah.

Voter FAQ: What else voters should know

Noah Crenshaw 56:55

But uh before you go to the polls, regardless of the day, there are some things you need to keep in mind. And Erica, do you want to talk a little bit about it?

Erika Malone 57:04

Yeah. So only registered vote voters are able to vote. The deadline for the primary has passed, but you could register to be able to vote in the fall. You can't vote straight party as it is a primary election. You are required to choose either Democratic or Republican Party, and only candidates from the party chosen will appear on the ballot. And then at the polls, you'll need your photo ID issued by the state or federal governments to cast a ballot. That's the most important thing. Why would you show up without a ID anyway if you're driving, right?

Noah Crenshaw 57:38

Yeah, that's technically against the law, but we all have those days. We've all had moments where we forget our wallet. So this is a reminder, remind you.

Erika Malone 57:46

Don't forget your ID. And then you in most cases, uh, Indiana driver's licenses, uh, Indiana photo ID card, US passport, or military ID is sufficient.

Noah Crenshaw 57:58

Yes, and I will note there has been some confusion over college IDs because there was a law change, and then the law got temporarily stopped with an injunction, and then it got unstopped. So uh 'cause college IDs were initially allowed as a valid form of ID, then the law changed, and then s some sued. Wasn't it a federal judge that it was either a federal or state judge? Someone sued, it got to court, then there was an injunction, and then the injunction got overturned on appeal. So this is a fancy way to say if you have a college ID that it's not gonna work this election, most likely. Or it's better just use an actual like state ID or federal ID, um, or passport or military ID to just avoid the hassle because there is some confusion around that. But I do believe at least assuming nothing, you know, happens with the you may not be able to you're most likely not gonna be able to use your call a college ID community and university. Any in university.

Erika Malone 59:04

So any college students that's want to go out and vote, make sure you bring your um your ID or other form of government.

Noah Crenshaw 59:10

And if you don't have if you're not originally from Indiana, then I'm just I'm sorry you can't vote. Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 59:16

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 59:16

It it's you're gonna get turned away most likely. Yeah. It just is what it is. That's what the courts and the law is right now.

Erika Malone 59:24

Yeah. Well, and also uh some do's and don'ts. Uh you cannot bring election-related signs, t-shirts, pins, or other election items into polling sites. I believe you can have them outside the polling sites, correct, Nella?

SPEAKER_01 59:39

Yes.

Erika Malone 59:40

Okay. You can you can bring your phone and use it at the polls, but this is only if you do not try to sway other voters inside the polling place to vote for candidates you choose. And as long as loud, disruptive conversations do not occur. If you hear or see suspicious activity, please notify a poll worker immediately. And if you do need an ID, license license branches will be open with extended hours from 8 30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, and from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, these branches will prioritize processing ID cars, driver's license, learner's permits, and CDLs that you that do not require testing for use as identification at a polling place. So that's kind of nice.

Noah Crenshaw 1:00:23

Yeah, yeah, they every year they do extend it. Um this is for the people who if you already have one, you've already been approved and all that, and you just lose it. Like I said, sometimes we lose things.

Erika Malone 1:00:34

Yeah.

Noah Crenshaw 1:00:34

Yeah. But thank you for going through all

Outro

Noah Crenshaw 1:00:37

that for us.

Erika Malone 1:00:37

Yeah. Well, thank you for uh helping me uh cover uh all this election stuff. Like I said, we're gonna be on a out out at the polls on election day as well.

Noah Crenshaw 1:00:49

Yeah, but before we wrap up this special episode of Beyond the Headlines, I gotta ask you, Erica, did you vote?

Erika Malone 1:00:56

I'm voting tomorrow.

Noah Crenshaw 1:00:59

Okay, what time?

Erika Malone 1:01:00

Um, probably when I have a moment at work to do so. I could probably take my break and You're gonna you're gonna do it at lunch. Yeah, I'm gonna do it at lunch.

Noah Crenshaw 1:01:08

So she's gonna vote Friday. You might see her. Oh wait, this episode comes out after you're gonna vote. Never mind. I was gonna say you guys could come say hi to Eric.

Erika Malone 1:01:17

Gotcha. I already voted.

Noah Crenshaw 1:01:19

Well, you can say hi to her if you see her out on election day.

Erika Malone 1:01:22

Yeah. I'll be in uh I'll be at Bargersville. Um, and then I don't remember the other two places I will be.

Noah Crenshaw 1:01:28

We'll all be out somewhere. You'll see you'll see a daily or journal reporter at some of the polling sites.

Erika Malone 1:01:33

Yeah. Not all of them, but I know for sure I will be at Bargersville Town Council. So anyone in Bargersville listening, you will see me there.

Noah Crenshaw 1:01:40

And if you're not at Bargersville and you're also listening, uh you'll see her there too. Yeah.

Erika Malone 1:01:45

Uh but um, yeah, Erica, anything else you want to add before we No, I'm just excited for uh election day, and like I said, we'll we'll keep we'll keep you all updated on uh how it goes. So I just want to say that thanks so much for everyone tuning in to this episode of Beyond the Headlines and let us know what you'd like to hear by submitting your thoughts to You Know Where to Go. News Tips at Dailyjournal.net. Noah's laughing at me. Follow us wherever you get podcasts and leave a review, and we hope you tune in next time.

Noah Crenshaw 1:02:16

See y'all later.

Erika Malone 1:02:18

See ya.