INDIANAPOLIS (WRTV) — Greg Ballard, an independent candidate for Indiana secretary of state and a former Indianapolis Republican mayor, said Friday that his campaign was fined $450 by the Indiana Election Division for submitting two donation reports past their deadline.
Ballard said in a statement that his campaign will not contest the fines.
Friday's announcement followed calls this week from the Hamilton County Republican Party chairman for a police investigation into allegedly fake petition signatures submitted by a campaign volunteer. The signatures were part of the Ballard campaign's effort to collect 37,000 voter signatures required to secure a spot on the November ballot. Hamilton County election officials found 10 fraudulent signatures on a petition page, prompting GOP Chairman Mario Massillamany to request an investigation.
The 10 fraudulent signatures represent 0.02% of the more than 35,000 signatures the campaign has already submitted.
Massillamany called on the Indiana State Police and the Hamilton County Prosecutor to move swiftly with an investigation. He also asked all 92 Indiana county election officials to review the Ballard campaign's petition pages and cross-reference signatures with voter rolls.
Furthermore, Massillamany requested the Indiana Election Division to flag and audit petition pages from the same signature collector across multiple counties.
Democrats at their convention chose Beau Bayh as their secretary of state candidate, while Republicans at their convention on Saturday in Fort Wayne will select their candidate from four contenders. Election Day is Nov. 3.
