Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry is publicly weighing into the investigation regarding possible voter registration fraud.
His message, in so many words, “everyone calm down and take a step back”
Indiana State Police are investigating possible fraudulent voter registrations, which in turned has the Super PAC Patriot Majority accuse State Police, as well as the Secretary of State and Governor’s office of engaging in voter suppression against African-Americans.
In a statement put out Wednesday afternoon, Curry said…
“As the date of the General Election approaches, it is important to note that there are many safeguards established in Indiana and federal law to protect voting rights. Thousands of Marion County residents have already cast ballots, and we expect the process to continue to accommodate voters without incident. Should a problem arise, however, our office stands ready to work with the Marion County Election Board to address reported violations of election law, as we have for each prior election since January 2011.
Further, we have requested the Indiana State Police to release no further information regarding that agency’s pending investigation into suspected voter registration irregularities. As with any investigation, confidentiality is important to allow investigators to continue their work independently and to avoid material prejudice in the matter. It is my obligation under the Rules of Professional Conduct to exercise reasonable care in ensuring that law enforcement agencies do not disclose information beyond what is in the public record.
If evidence of suspected criminal activity in Marion County is presented to our office, we will review that information for potential criminal charges. Accusations of fraud or other intentional acts prior to the conclusion of a thorough review by law enforcement and a prosecutor are premature and contrary to the foundational principle of presumed innocence until and unless proven guilty.
Likewise, reckless assertions by third parties of voter suppression and intimidation are without merit. We trust our public safety partners at the Indiana State Police to thoroughly and appropriately investigate the allegations of irregularities in some voter registrations. I have personally met with ISP Superintendent Doug Carter, and we are conferring with Indiana State Police investigators as the investigation continues. We will determine if charges are appropriate upon completion of that investigation.”
Violations of Indiana election law (IC 3-14 et. seq.) include voter intimidation and voter fraud which carry criminal charges up to a Level 6 Felony. Election statutes also cover crimes committed in polling locations, such as knowingly interfering with a watcher’s duties and obstructing, interfering with, or injuring a voter or election officer.
Curry says Voters who believe they have witnessed election law violations on Election Day should contact the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office at 1-866-IN1-VOTE (1-866-461-8683) or the Marion County Election Board at elections@indy.gov. If the Election Board determines there is reason to believe an election law violation has occurred, the complaint and any evidence collected will be forwarded to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will have a Deputy Prosecutor available on-call on November 8 to assist the Marion County Election Board if necessary.
