Madison County Man Takes Ballots During Election Test

Source: FOX-59 / FOX-59

ANDERSON, Ind. — The Madison County prosecutor called a recent ballot theft an intentional attempt to lose trust in the election process on Tuesday.  

Surveillance footage showed Larry Savage taking two ballots and putting them in his pocket during a public test of voting machines on October 3rd.  

Savage went live on Facebook saying, “3 ballots short!!! lol.” 

Police later went to Savage’s home in Anderson, talking about the missing ballots.  

Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings talked about how authentic those ballots were because they were marked with every possible combination of candidates to make sure the machines would read them correctly.  

Cummings said Savage’s theft disrupted the test.  

“The worst problem is he gets on his Facebook live and his website called ‘Madison County Integrity,’” Cummings said.  

Savage was charged with ballot removal or destruction and theft.  

“The ballots weren’t there because he took them himself,” Cummings said. “He creates a controversy that never existed in an effort to undermine confidence in our election process.”  

Savage was one of several candidates who ran unsuccessfully against U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz in this May’s Republican primary.  

On his campaign Facebook page, he’s billed himself as a MAGA candidate.  

Court documents show on Oct. 17, he posted on Facebook, “A new era of accountability has begun in Madison County. We will shield citizens from harassment, dismantle entrenched networks and conduct thorough investigations into questionable conduct. By demanding fair, transparent elections, we will restore trust and protect civil rights. As a dedicated advocate, I will amplify the people’s voice, fostering a culture of justice and equality.”  

In a recorded exchange with Indiana State Police, Larry Savage says he took the ballots to only sample copies he was permitted to keep.  

The theft comes in the middle of ongoing attacks on election system integrity. Former President Donald Trump continues to spread claims of mass voter fraud, but he offered no evidence. Incendiary devices have even been found in ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington.  

Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings, who’s served since 1995, said that proven cases of voter fraud don’t happen often and said he had never seen anyone attempting to steal test ballots in the 10 years since Madison County adopted its voting machines. Cummings is not concerned about the county’s election process being disrupted.