Ballard Closes in on Ballot Signatures for Secretary of State Bid

INDIANAPOLIS — Greg Ballard’s independent campaign for secretary of state said Tuesday it has submitted at least 35,167 signatures to county clerks in his effort to appear on the ballot under the “Lincoln Party” designation.

The former Republican Indianapolis mayor needs nearly 37,000 verified signatures from registered voters, meaning the campaign almost certainly needs more than that total to account for those who are unregistered or are duplicates. Ballard has until June 30 to submit petitions to counties.

As of Tuesday, a petition summary report from the Indiana Election Division showed about 22,000 signatures for Ballard had been turned in with 25 counties, including Marion, Hamilton and Hendricks. But not all counties voluntarily submit data for that report.

In a release Tuesday, the Ballard campaign said the latest number is a minimum because some people have submitted signatures directly to clerks’ offices.

“It looks good right now that we’re going to get there and then some,” Ballard told the Indiana Capital Chronicle on Saturday at an event in northeast Indianapolis to collect signatures and receive signed petitions from volunteers.

In May, the campaign also launched “100 Hoosiers, 100 Signatures” — an effort for supporters statewide to independently gather signatures. A one-stop shop on their campaign website outlined the legal rules, how to obtain petitions and asks volunteers to commit to gathering 100 signatures each.

Ballard said they’ve collected petition signatures across the state, though many come from central Indiana where his name recognition is highest from his eight years as Indianapolis mayor through 2015.

Robby Slaughter, who’s been collecting signatures for the campaign, said he’s gotten at least 300 or 400 himself. Circulators have gone to farmer’s markets, street festivals and knocked on doors, he said. Earlier in the day Saturday, he sought signatures at the Indy Pride festival. He described the collection process as “an uphill battle.”

“I think that’s one of the challenges for our experience in this campaign is that we want to give our candidate the fair shot to share his message with voters, but the first thing we have to do is put a tremendous, gargantuan effort into just getting him on the ballot,” Slaughter said.

According to campaign expenditures, Ballard has spent $150,000 as of mid-May on a North Carolina-based firm helping to gather signatures. Those verified signatures must be submitted to the state Election Division by noon July 15.

Ballard sells himself as an experienced candidate who would remain independent from endorsements and party politics as secretary of state. He launched his campaign in March and hopes to capture dissatisfaction among Hoosiers with the two-party system.

If he qualifies for the ballot, he’ll face Democrat Beau Bayh, Libertarian Lauri Shillings and the winner of a crowded, contentious Republican field to be decided Saturday during the state GOP convention.

That disillusionment with the direction the main two parties have gone is what led 81-year-old Dennis Miller to sign for Ballard on Saturday. He largely admired Ballard’s job as mayor.

“I think it’s time for a good, common-sense” secretary of state again, Miller said.