Are you voting? Prepare for a rare question on the top of the ballot
INDIANAPOLIS — The elections for president, governor, and Congress may have the most attention on Indiana’s ballot, but voters have to decide on a constitutional amendment question before anything else.
Indiana’s ballot begins with this question: “Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to remove the state superintendent of public instruction from the list of officeholders who shall discharge the powers and duties of the governor if the office of the governor and lieutenant governor are both vacant?”
Early voters such as Joe Jessee were confused by the question when they saw it on their ballot.
“I had to read that over a few times because I wasn’t real sure what it meant,” Jessee said.
League of Women Voters Indiana president Linda Hanson has a simple explanation if you also don’t know what it means.
“It takes a non-elected position out of the list of those who would replace the governor if he was not able to serve,” Hanson explained.
The question concerns the Superintendent of Public Instruction, a position which no longer exists after Jennifer McCormick’s term ended in 2021. It was replaced with the Secretary of Education, which is appointed by the governor.
Constitutional amendments are rare in Indiana because they can not be proposed as a referendum from voters, only as measures from lawmakers.
“Even though the preamble to our constitution says all rights reside with the voters, that’s not what happens in Indiana,” Hanson said. “There is no way for anything to go through without going through our legislators.”
Early voter Lori Ward hopes the Indiana legislature finds a way to open up ballot questions to the public.
“I would like to see a change so that the people have more of a say,” Ward said. “A lot of people died and a lot of sacrifices were made for us to be able to do this.”
