[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6573383,"mediaKeyId","3051965-0c1a6a8111cd852d46d882c5f65301da","parentId",3051965,"title","Elections staff says RFP for electronic poll books is being drafted; update expected at next meeting","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",3279000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3051965-0c1a6a8111cd852d46d882c5f65301da&start=3279&end=3279","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3051965-0c1a6a8111cd852d46d882c5f65301da/thumbnail_3279000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6573383/Indianapolis-City/Marion-County/Indiana/Elections-staff-says-RFP-for-electronic-poll-books-is-being-drafted-update-expected-at-next-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573383-479de46a555a8eb1bbb26b923beafb91/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171851&Signature=YmEM8uN2A-1cYQdeyfhNjpY6CsKLYuq71iQA5BXM2jjcydWEi9sTmB~3Dx3k6Ytkx2GevNzjucSBxKL0YUiP1bV0-EKqlC56uIsG1sHRde6BqMUJhVxWMyzSo~JIzwDIsdv4Wgeba-gsXwcoWTDUyJFck7jRycQmXGSI1u6Wh6JcAxAe5flXuxJKduXUPG7rHzyJr89mv7qi-20F2V3oZzVSIBUKnuelrvht7ZUKzL03X3BBXmbydSIdT13ludkryAKwqKZr-SN3x259qGB~KiMg~quWOLQ3dlCpYIMJQBoXoxsrgHRwZ~uRZIJZRr8pD75HEff8AdX0tGoaXaMiMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Indianapolis, IN","date","2025-04-18T00:00:00Z","article","Marion County Election Board staff told members April 18 they are drafting a request for proposals (RFP) for electronic poll books and will present progress at a future meeting.

Director of Elections Patrick Becker said staff has spent several months developing RFP requirements and working with the county purchasing department and information-security partners (referred to in the meeting as ISA) to include security specifications. Becker said staff hopes to provide a more detailed update at the board’s next meeting.

Why it matters: electronic poll books are a core piece of election technology used at polling locations. The RFP process and security requirements will influence which vendors can bid and how the county configures equipment and software for future elections.

What staff said

Becker said the team is \"making good progress\" on requirements and security work and that the purchasing department will issue the RFP when requirements are finalized. He asked the board to expect an update at the next meeting; no formal action or vote was taken on the matter during the April 18 meeting.

Ending

Board members acknowledged the staff update and thanked election staff for preparatory work ahead of the next election cycle.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council of Indianapolis, IN - Marion County Election Board - Apr 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Marion County elections staff reported progress drafting a request for proposals for electronic poll books, including security requirements and coordination with purchasing and IT partners; staff expects to present a further update at the next board meeting.","taxTitle","Indianapolis City, Marion County, Indiana","taxId",3627,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6573388,"Marion County Election Board waives two $1,000 campaign-finance fines, staff to refer unpaid fines to collections",3171,104000,3275000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3051965-0c1a6a8111cd852d46d882c5f65301da&start=104&end=3275","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3051965-0c1a6a8111cd852d46d882c5f65301da/thumbnail_104000.jpg","/articles/6573388/Indianapolis-City/Marion-County/Indiana/Marion-County-Election-Board-waives-two-1000-campaign-finance-fines-staff-to-refer-unpaid-fines-to-collections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6573388-5f70e56b00b853d8194618c9b965914f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171851&Signature=oo5BD8kX1QWN6t51r2~BjZQDYLKerMNj5c7zbc93xE6n~K37Ba2OdY415zXUWUUqk3DreyHh4foFIFD2Zgudhdjm951upjJ9GB7FkMzWmErQENWqbA-vjSeVkzTwe8NuUEMFEJJOKiHxJEHlOvXEXwd3nA2pM-cFuLdhAMdbrD4oRuUeJFs70UmYzvRGF5bMvpQCZ5nkXtwDvg5UiAsN8eh-cMIavIEBatexjLgM-z-bC9vsBJuFJKfZXvzlWxim8gIgZl-f90-IKXZMtVVTs89nQ4cfHQxwfDm1XazCGkpr1IQeRGNkiZgjXJozvEUcer4hvm-jjL45qBQxdhpaTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Marion County Election Board members voted unanimously April 18 to waive two mandatory $1,000 late-filing fines after candidates explained clerical errors and other circumstances that led to late campaign finance reports.

The waivers applied to Jennifer Tercey, a first-time candidate for Lawrence city council who said she missed the filing after relying on campaign staff and an absent mail pickup, and to David Hoffman, a former Lawrence police chief who said a checkbox error on his final report mistakenly left his committee active. Both waivers were approved by voice vote (Vice Chair Jennifer Ping: aye; Madam Clerk: aye; Chair Nolita Stewart: aye).

Why it matters: the board’s actions illustrate how statutorily mandated fines interact with the board’s waiver policy. Statutory fines for late campaign-finance filings accrue automatically; the board can later reduce or waive them under the Marion County Election Board campaign fine waiver and reduction policy (adopted April 2024). Staff also told the board it will refer several unpaid fines to the city collections department if they remain unpaid 60 days after certified notice.

Board discussion and staff findings

Director of Elections Patrick Becker told the board staff conducts a cursory review of campaign finance filings, accepts amended filings, and notifies committees when forms are incomplete. Becker identified three committees with “defective” filings staff is actively working to resolve: the Pike Township Board committee (Cynthia Oda), an IPS Scribe Board committee (Deandra Thompson) with formatting issues and an undisclosed treasurer, and filings from Kenneth Allen that appear to be two separate committees rather than an amendment to one committee.

Becker said some defective filings involve clear omissions — for example, a missing treasurer — while others are complete forms that have been challenged by third parties. Counsel clarified that the board’s investigatory authority is limited: staff may flag and seek corrections, but formal investigations or enforcement actions typically follow a filed complaint or a clear statutory violation.

Late filings, fines and waivers

Becker read a list of candidates and committees assessed fines for missing the January 15 annual deadline (or the March 3 deadline for party committees). Those listed included Kenneth Allen (fines of $50 and $100 for separate late filings), Daniel Boots ($50), Daniel Coulter ($50), Alpharena McGinty (paid $100), David Baird ($450), Jeffrey Duhamel ($500), Jackie Butler ($500), Jennifer Tercey (assessed $1,000, later waived), Ashley Thomas (IPS School Board, $1,000), David Willis ($1,000), Washington Township Parents for Public Ed PAC ($50, paid), Marion County Libertarian Party ($50), and Deandra Thompson (IPS school board, assessed $1,000 for a defective March filing staff accepted).

Tercey told the board she is a full-time paralegal, a part-time law student and a first-time candidate who said her campaign manager stopped communicating after the election. “I did not know that I had to do anything,” Tercey said, explaining she discovered the missed filing only after receiving certified mail and filed the next day. She asked the board for “grace and understanding.” The board voted to waive her fine.

David Hoffman, who ran for Lawrence mayor in 2023, explained that his committee’s final report accidentally checked the wrong box (annual instead of final/disband committee) and said he corrected the filing with staff assistance this week. “I simply ask for a reasonable and equitable application of enforcement of this law, and I ask for a waiver of the fine,” Hoffman said. The board voted to waive his $1,000 fine.

Referral to collections and no-report committees

Becker reminded the board of the April 2024 waiver/reduction policy the board adopted; under that policy, unpaid fines older than 60 days may be referred to the city collections department. Staff identified a set of committees whose fines are unpaid and that staff is prepared to refer to collections, including Robin Stewart (Center Township Board) and the Pike Proud PAC, among others. Becker said staff will generally use the date the office sent certified notice as the trigger for the 60-day collections clock.

Staff also flagged several committees that never filed required reports after briefly opening campaign committees (for example Meredith Henby, who filed, withdrew and never formally closed a committee); staff asked the board for help in locating and contacting those committees to avoid long-term administrative problems.

Votes at a glance

- Adopt minutes (Aug. 29; Sept. 6; Oct. 4; Oct. 30; Nov. 14; Nov. 18; Dec. 12, 2024): Motion adopted by roll call (Vice Chair Jennifer Ping: aye; Madam Clerk: aye; Chair Nolita Stewart: aye).

- Administrative dissolution of committee \"Martha Baker Blue\" (candidate for City-County Council): motion adopted by roll call (Vice Chair: aye; Madam Clerk: aye; Chair: aye). Staff reported the committee had $4.91 cash on hand and no debts.

- Waiver of $1,000 fine for Jennifer Tercey (candidate): motion approved by voice vote (Vice Chair: aye; Madam Clerk: aye; Chair: aye).

- Waiver of $1,000 fine for David Hoffman (former Lawrence mayoral candidate): motion approved by voice vote (Vice Chair: aye; Madam Clerk: aye; Chair: aye).

What the board said about authority and process

Board members and counsel reiterated that statutory fines accrue automatically under state law (referred to in the meeting as “Title 3” and cited specifically by staff as IC 3-9-1-5 during discussion). The board’s April 2024 waiver/reduction policy governs later staff referrals to collections and the board’s discretionary reductions or waivers. Counsel said staff should not be expected to investigate every clerical discrepancy absent a formal complaint.

Ending

Board members asked staff to continue outreach to committees with defective or missing reports and to use certified-mail dates as the practical trigger for the 60-day collections referral. Staff said it will provide an update on corrected filings and any further waiver requests at future meetings.","At its April 18 meeting the Marion County Election Board granted waivers for two candidates’ $1,000 late-filing fines, described multiple defective filings staff is working to correct, and told the board it will refer several unpaid fines to the city collections department under the board’s April 2024 policy.","actionData","errors"]

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Elections staff says RFP for electronic poll books is being drafted; update expected at next meeting

Marion County Election Board waives two $1,000 campaign-finance fines, staff to refer unpaid fines to collections