The Indianapolis News from Indianapolis, Indiana • 79

Thursday, November 3, 1994 THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS G15 Hi a. (JL 'i Third parties are angling for a slot on the ballot i rs Charles O'Connor David Mohr voters Mike Herndon Rick Isgrigg have choices made on school board, sheriff, Bryan Barrett Michael Gerrish Decision will be By JERRY GRAFF The Indianapolis Newt SHELBYVILLE, Ind. Shelby County voters will have plenty of decisions to make In the Nov. 8 election, ranging from a hot Congressional race to a spirited sheriffs contest and a referendum affecting selection of Shelbyvllle school board members. Republican David Mcintosh Is opposing Democrat Joseph Hog-sett for the 2nd District seat In the U.S.

House In a race many are talking about. Another key contest Is for sheriff. Republican Incumbent Mike Herndon Is running against former two-term sheriff Rick Isgrigg, a Democrat. Isgrigg was barred by state law from seeking a third term four years ago when Herndon was elected. In the race for county clerk.

Democrat Janice Murnan and Re It's far better that citizens voice their disapproval of government with their votes, not bullets and guns, he said. Voter turnout does Increase when more candidates are running, said James A. McCann, a political science professor at Purdue University. In the 1992 presidential election. 5 million more voters went to the polls than in 1988.

he Partisans abound But third-party candidates must jump tremendous hurdles. McCann said, because Indiana, like many states, is fairly partisan. Voters strongly Identify with the Democrat or Republican parties. "Most voters carry around with them at least some latent party identification. We're socialized to be Republican or Democrat, Just as we're socialized to be Catholic or Protestant." he said.

While many people may say they're fed up with the two major parties, when push comes to shove, they don't want to waste their votes on election day, McCann added. The biggest barrier of all to third-party candidates is the way winners are determined, he said. The country's winner-take-all system encourages people to coalesce behind a few candidates, not many. It would take "significant constitutional revisions" to Improve third-party candidates' chances of winning, he said. Some alternative successful.

The only person representing Vermont in the U.S. House of Representatives Is Bernard Sanders, an Independent who was elected in 1990. More voices needed It would help, though, if third-party candidates were included in forums, debates and other public events, says Richard Winger, a California man who has studied Signs point to big By JOHN FLORA The Indianapolis Newt NOBLESVILLE, Ind. Even though there are no courthouse-level races this fall In Hamilton County, the demand for absentee ballots point to a good turnout in an off-year election here. No Democrats filed for courthouse level office, making a dozen Republican candidates automatic winners In the November election.

Nonetheless. last-minute vot- Sharon Clark er registration and early absentee voting are unusually high this fall. Deputy Hamilton County Clerk Kathy Richardson, who coordinates voter registration, said nearly' 500 persons have cast absentee votes at the County Clerk's office in the Hamilton County Government and Judicial Center and about 800 more have asked for absentee ballots by mall. Four years ago, she said, 991 absentee votes were cast in Hamilton County. Nearly 700 people signed up to vote Oct.

10 on the final day of registration. A total of 69.595 persons are registered in the county, compared with 73,004 registered for the 1992 presidential election. Richardson, who served two pi.WJ.Hi.WW)...,.HjWU,.L.. "A -V int. nrrrr Ti Janice Murnan Cathy Laird Congress sions on the races fur US.

Senator and state treasurer, state auditor, secretary of state and clerk of the appellate and supreme courts. Residents in Jackson Noble and Washington townships will vote In the State Senate race In the 41st District in which Jesica Webb, Democrat, is attempting to unseat Republican Robert Garton. Other county residents are represented by State Sen. Jean Leis-ing, whose term has two more years to run. Republican State Reps.

Jeff Linder and Woody Burton are unopposed for re-election in the 57th and 58th districts, respectively. The split of Republicans holding eight township trustee posts and the Democrats holding the other six trustee positions will continue because none of the 14 Incumbents have opposition. There are several races for boards in the 14 townships. turnout ber council, won voter support in the November, 1991, election. There is also a question on the Hamilton County ballot asking whether three Judges of the Indiana Court of Appeals Fifth District shall be retained in office.

In addition, Hamilton County voters will cast ballots for candidates for U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, two state Senate seats and three Indiana House of Representatives seats. The following Republicans have no opposition and are assured of election: Steven Nation Superior Court 1 judge. Sonia Leerkamp prosecutor.

Joe Cook sheriff. Barbara Roberts clerk. Mary Clark recorder. Joe Roberts coroner. Peggy Pfister assessor.

Sharon Clark commissioner. District 1. Meredith Carter county council. District 1. Stuart Hancock county council, District 2.

Brad Beaver county council. District 3. John Hiatt county council. District 4. Pearson ready for judgeship The Associated Press FRANKFORT.

Ind. Linley Pearson, who served as Indiana Attorney General for more than a decade, says he has no qualms about taking over a Judge's bench in Clinton County. The 48-year-old Republican is running unopposed for Clinton Circuit Court Judge in the Nov. 8 election. Pearson, who maintains a law office in Frankfort, says he sought the office at the suggestion of friends.

"Quite a few people wanted me to run forjudge. After I looked at (the possibility) for a while, It seemed like a logical thing to do," Pearson said. In the May primary, Pearson defeated 12-year incumbent Jack O'Neill, who had served as deputy attorney general under Pearson. Pearson was first elected state attorney general In 1981, and held the position until 1992. when he ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign against Gov.

Evan Bayh. The current Indiana attorney general is Pamela Carter, a Democrat. During his years as state attorney general, Pearson was selected by former President Reagan to serve on the Environmental Policy Review Commission. Pearson Is also the former Clinton County Prosecutor, an office he held from 1971 to 1981. By SUZANNE McBRIDE Tho Indianapolis Newt Millions of Americans including nearly 456,000 Hoosiers voted for presidential candidate Ross Perot two years ago.

The support voters gave the Texas billionaire, who ran as an independent, surprised many political observers but not Charles Tony Knight. People are tired of the country's two major political parties, and they're ready for some alternatives, says Knight, a third-party candidate for secretary of state. "Ross Perot showed that people really do want a third party." said the New Alliance candidate. "People are ready to vote for major third parties." Libertarian Steve Dillon agrees. "We think the time is right." said the former Republican who also Is running for secretary of state.

Both the Libertarian and New Alliance parties are concentrating on the secretary of state's race because turnout for that seat will determine if either alternative party wins a spot on next year's ballot. If each garners 2 percent of the vote, both parties will appear on the statewide ballot from 1995 to 1998. If each wins 10 percent of the vote, both parties will appear on the primary ballot for the next four years. Apathy targeted To get on this year's statewide ballot, the parties had to collect petitions containing at least 30,000 signatures. The deadline was July 15.

In addition to secretary of state. both parties have slated candidates for U.S. Senate, state treasurer, state auditor and clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court. An independent candidate also Is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 5th District.

The Libertarians and members of New Alliance acknowledge they're fighting an uphill battle. But they say adding more parties to the system will reduce voter apathy and make the democratic system stronger. "We believe an open ballot is important for democracy," said Steve Dasbach, a Libertarian running for state treasurer. Only the write-ins By SUZANNE McBRIDE The Indianapolis News If you have visions of winning office as a write-in candidate, you'd better forget this year and start dreaming about 1995. Only those write-in candidates who registered their candidacies at least 70 days before the election will have votes counted on their behalf Tuesday.

Noon on Aug. 26 was this year's deadline. Until this year, write-in candidates could declare their candidacies up until 30 days before the election. All votes cast for declared write-in candidates are counted, but none is counted if the candidate has not properly registered. The Indiana General Assembly moved the registration deadline back 40 days to cut down on the number of joke candidates, says David Maidenberg, executive director of the Indiana State Election Board.

"Election officials have more to do on election night than count cartoon characters," says Maidenberg, referring to the numerous votes Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck receive each year. But requiring write-in candidates to plan that far ahead defeats the purpose of having write-in candidates, says one California man who has studied ballot access since the 1960s. "Most successful write-ins emerge because of some last-minute developments. It just defeats the whole purpose of write-ins to have a deadline that early," Richard Winger says. He publishes a ballot access newsletter 13 times a year.

Write-in candidates are a fairly recent phenomenon in Indiana, Maidenberg says. It was not until 1990 that a federal judge ruled the state must allow write-in candidacies. Before U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker wrote her decision, a ballot was thrown out if a voter tried to write in an alternative candidate's name for any race. It hasn't always been that way, however.

Write-in candidates weren't all that unusual before the turn of the century. Winger says. Before Gorrell, facing John Eberhart, Republican. In the 2nd District. Republican Incumbent Gregg Graham, going against Tom Duve-lius.

Democrat, in 3rd District. Republican Incumbent Anthony Sipes. being challenged by Democrat J.D. Lux. in 4th District.

Six county candidates are unopposed, including Charles O'Connor, running for Circuit Court Judge; Nora VanNatta, for treasurer; Donna Nolley, for recorder; Mary Neu, for assessor, and Jeff Powell, for surveyor, all Republicans, and Bryan Barrett, Democrat, for prosecutor. O'Connor, Nolley and Neu are Incumbents. Voters in the Shelbyvllle Central School District are being asked to decide a referendum on whether the school board should remain appointed or be elected. Voters will also be making deci Hamilton 1 i nilii Brad Beaver Stuart Hancock on the ballot because the town council's terms are staggered. There is no contest, however, because at-large Republican candidates Tracy Rogers and David Mi-kesell are unopposed.

At Fishers, the voters are being asked to decide whether the town Last-minute voter registration and early absentee voting are unusually high this fall. council's membership should be increased to reflect the explosive growth the community has experienced in the last few years. A referendum on the Fishers ballot asks, "Shall the number of town council members be increased from five to seven members?" A similar referendum, which added two seats to the three-mem- Steve David Ern Hudson Allen Wharry Albert Kelly taverns was criticized by her unsuccessful opponent in the GOP primary, is without opposition this fall. Likewise, Assessor Cathi Gould and District 1 County Coun-cilma. Paul Green are without Democi 'c opposition.

Distrii. 1 Commissioner Larry Frye won the right to seek a second term in the Republican primary by defeating Richard Essex II and Blythe Burns. Frye is assured re-election because no Democrat filed for 'the office. Mm publican Cathy Laird are seeking to succeed Nora VanNatta, who served two terms. Republican Incumbent Janet Miller is facing a stiff challenge from Democrat Mark Bogemann in the auditor's contest.

Steve Schoentrup, Democrat, did not seek a second term as coroner. Democrat Roger D. Clark, a Shelby County sheriffs deputy who Is a deputy coroner, is facing Republican Randy Miller in a contest to succeed Schoentrup. Democrat Incumbent David Mohr is challenged by Republican Michael Gerrish in the battle for county commissioner representing the 1st District. Four seats on county council are on the ballot, including: Mark Nigh, Republican Incumbent, opposed by Jo Almond, Democrat, in the 1st Democrat incumbent Phil Sonia Leerkamp Steve Nation terms as clerk, predicts a turnout of more than 50 percent on Nov.

8. While there are no courthouse-level contests, Hamilton County voters will settle trustee races in Adams, Fall Creek and Jackson townships and a township board contest in Adams Township. Adams Township Trustee Jo Ann Kercheval, a Republican, faces a challenge from Democrat Linda Williams. Democrat Noble Robertson hopes to win one of three seats on the township board in a race with Republicans Loyd Grinstead, Mark Raines and Gro-ver Waitt. In Fall Creek Township, Republican Jane Duzan faces a challenge from Diane Lott.

Lott, running as an independent. Is the wife of Brian Lott. who was defeated by Duzan in the May GOP primary. Westfield Is the only municipality in the county with candidates Ken Graham Ken Hedge primary, is being contested by Democrat Ed Rice. The only candidate to file for courthouse office since the May primary Is Democrat Ken Graham, Lebanon, who seeks to deny Surveyor Ken Hedge a second term.

Hedge was unopposed in the Republican primary. Graham is a former employee of IBM at Greencastle and spent two years in Jamaica as a Peace Corps volunteer. He is a resident of Boone County. In council District 2. incumbent Byron Loveless faces a challenge from Democrat Richard Wait.

District 3 incumbent Roy Wood, a Democrat, will run against GOP challenger Owen Hansen, editor of the Lebanon Reporter and a former county commissioner. In council District 4, the contest is between Republican incumbent Charles Eaton and Democrat Jack Jones. Prosecutor Rebecca McClure, whose decision to crack down on alleged gambling violations at Boone County fraternal lodges and r.uui. .1 iSMl Attorney seeks to restore GOP control to Boone court ballot access since the 1960s. He publishes a newsletter, Ballot Access News.

This fall, alternative candidates participated In debates in MichiV gan, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Idaho, Georgia and Arizona, Winger says. registered; will count- the 1890s, the government printed no ballots, so the political parties distributed ballots or voters created their own. In the early years of government-produced bat-lots, there was space for candidates. "It's an ancient rite," Winger says. And one that he believes should be protected by the Ninth Amendment of the U.S.

Constitution. That amendment stipulates that there are rights not listed in the Constitution that deserve to be protected. This year, two Indiana men successfully won write-In status for federal office and another qualified for a Statehouse race, accordi-ing to secretary of state records. Write-in candidates for statewide offices, the Indiana General Assembly and U.S. Congress must declare their intent at the secretary of state's office.

Robert Delancey of LaPorteis running in the 3rd District congressional race, and David Roach of New Haven is running in the 4th District congressional racr. Jefferson Lee of Atwood Is running in Indiana's House Distict 18. Two other men tried to be declared write-in candidates but failed. Indianapolis resident Brian Mitchell wanted to run in the U.S. Senate race.

Last week, however, the Indiana State Election Board ruled he could not because Mitchell is 27. U.S. Senate candidates must be at least 30. The election board also deemed Eugene Kowalczyk ineligible. The LaPorte man wanted to run in the 3rd District congressional race, but the secretary of state's office did not receive his required paper-i work by the Aug.

26 deadline. Although the envelope contain-, ing the paperwork was postmarked Aug. 22, it did not arrive in the secretary of state's office, until Aug. 30, says Joanne Yeager, counsel to the secretary of state. "Unfortunately, it took longer than it should have," she says.

Write-in candidates running for local or county office must register; at the county clerk's office tit least 70 days before an election. By JOHN FLORA The Indianapolis Newt LEBANON. Ind. The only Democrat In the courthouse is running for his political life this fall as a Whitestown attorney seeks to restore Republican control over Boone Circuit Court. Judge Allen Wharry was appointed to the bench early last year by Gov.

Evan Bayh to complete the unexpired term of Ronald Drury. a Democrat, who was removed from office by the Indiana Supreme Court for official misconduct. Wharry, 59, a Zionsville native, had a private practice from 1966 until his 1993 appointment to the bench. He also served as Judge of Zionsville Town Court in the early 1970s and was a deputy prosecutor in the late 1960s. Challenger Steve David.

37. is senior attorney with Mayflower Transit, a position he has held since 1988. He was a Judge advocate In the U.S. Army from 1982 to 1988. Sheriff Em Hudson, who turned aside a Republican primary challenge from former Zionsville Marshal Phil Parmelee, faces Democrat Albert Kelly.

Zionsville, in the election. Hudson Is running for his fourth, and what he says will be his final, term. Hudson served two and was succeeded by his wife, Judy, for one term before being elected to a third term four years ago. Incumbent Clerk Debbie Ottin-ger, who had no opposition in the.