Supreme Court blocks House from Mueller grand jury material
The Supreme Court on Wednesday temporarily prevented the House of Representatives from obtaining secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
Elections
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Public health crisis forces delay, changes in Indiana vote
The decision to postpone Indiana’s primary election was met with bipartisan approval and raised hopes the state will be encouraged to permanently expand access to absentee voting.
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Panel favors retention of all 13 Marion Superior judges
The Marion County Judicial Selection Committee has unanimously voted to recommend retention of all 13 Marion Superior judges whose names will be on the ballot in November.
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Electoral collage: Harrison site curates voting exhibit, from ballot boxes to hanging chads
At a time when the nation is questioning the security of electronic voting machines, the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site is looking back at the equipment and devices used in the past to allow citizens to cast their ballots and have their voices heard.
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Articles
Justices fear ‘chaos’ if states can’t bind electors’ votes
Supreme Court justices invoked fears of bribery and chaos Wednesday to suggest they think states can require presidential electors to back their states’ popular vote winner in the Electoral College.
Lawsuit seeks to expand voting by mail for November election
Not-for-profit Indiana Vote by Mail and 12 Indiana voters have filed a federal lawsuit against the Indiana Election Commission and Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson that seeks to give all voters the option of casting a ballot by mail in the November general election.
Online ballot request form posted for Indiana primary
Indiana voters can now submit online their requests for a mail-in ballot for the state’s June 2 primary election.
Pandemic nudges SCOTUS to hear first arguments by phone
This is how the United States Supreme Court embraces technology: slowly. It took a worldwide pandemic for the court to agree to hear arguments over the telephone, with audio available live for the first time. C-SPAN plans to carry the arguments.
Indiana primary will have in-person voting, but officials encourage mail-in ballots
Indiana voters will still have an opportunity to cast a ballot in person for the June 2 primary election, state officials announced Thursday while expanding and encouraging mail-in voting.
Dems lead fundraising in AG race, but Hill still ahead of GOP rivals
Incumbent Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill continues to lead his Republican challengers in available funds for the 2020 election, though his war chest is less than both Democratic candidates vying to take his job.
Efforts underway to help Hoosiers be engaged, informed
Getting more Hoosiers to vote is no easy task, but two initiatives announced last November have taken a couple of fundamental steps toward increasing election turnout in Indiana.
Indiana schools closed through May 1
Indiana officials are considering delaying the state’s primary election as several other states are doing to help ensure voters worried about the coronavirus outbreak can safely cast their ballots. The talks followed Gov. Eric Holcomb’s announcement Thursday that all schools in Indiana would close through at least May 1.
US attorney reviewing polling places for ADA compliance
U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler said his office is reviewing all polling places in the Southern District of Indiana to see if they comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Judge rebukes Barr’s handling of Mueller report, orders unredacted copy
A federal judge on Thursday sharply rebuked Attorney General William Barr’s handling of the special counsel’s Russia report, saying Barr had made “misleading public statements” to spin the investigation’s findings in favor of President Donald Trump and had shown a “lack of candor.”
Ex-South Bend officer justified in black man’s killing
A special prosecutor announced Friday that a white former South Bend police officer was justified in the fatal shooting of an African American man last summer and that he won’t be charged in the killing that roiled then-Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign.
ADA compliance review at polling places underway in Southern District
Polling places in the Southern District of Indiana are now being reviewed for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler announced Thursday.
Indiana’s ‘IDEA’ touted as replacement for Crosscheck
After a federal appellate court stopped Indiana’s process for removing ineligible voters from the registration rolls, the state is still looking for a way to clean its voter lists. But a new system being considered by the Legislature is not gaining support among voting rights groups and could spark more litigation.
Roughly 1 in 5 current Indiana legislators initially sent to Statehouse by party caucus
From 2017 through 2019, nine legislators exited the Statehouse before their terms expired, requiring the state’s caucus system to ramp up to handle the large number of vacancies and bringing renewed attention to political party processes that choose who will represent voters. At present, 21.3% of Indiana legislators first entered the Statehouse through a caucus election.
Buttigieg ends historic presidential campaign, urges unity
Pete Buttigieg, who rose from relative obscurity as an Indiana mayor to a barrier-breaking, top-tier candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, ended his campaign Sunday. The decision by the first openly gay candidate to seriously contend for the presidency — and among the youngest ever — came just a day after a leading rival, Joe Biden, scored a resounding victory in South Carolina.
For a historic high court pick, Dems must think outside box
Joe Biden is dangling a history-making promise shortly before South Carolina’s presidential primary Saturday, the first 2020 contest featuring a majority black electorate. Elect him president, Biden says, and he might nominate the first black woman to the Supreme Court.
Intel officials say Russia boosting Trump candidacy
Intelligence officials have warned lawmakers that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election campaign to help President Donald Trump get reelected, according to three officials familiar with the closed-door briefing.
Suspension recommendation casts further uncertainty on AG Hill’s future
The hearing officer presiding over the attorney discipline case against Attorney General Curtis Hill is recommending a 60-day suspension of Hill’s law license, without automatic reinstatement. But how that recommendation might affect Hill’s status as AG or his re-election campaign remains to be seen.
Clark Circuit Judge Adams apologizes for fight that led to his shooting
A southern Indiana judge is apologizing for a May 1 fight outside an Indianapolis fast-food restaurant during which he and another judge were shot and seriously wounded. The apology comes as Judge Andrew Adams is seeking re-election after pleading guilty to battery for his role in a shooting in which he and a fellow Clark Circuit judge were seriously injured.