The Hendricks County Elections Board voted unanimously Friday to refer two formal complaints against Republican State Representative candidate Sid Mahant to the county prosecutor for potential charges, just four days before the May 5 primary.
The 3-0 votes — on a bipartisan board — came after a hearing on allegations that Mahant entered a polling location while not voting and that he offered to buy food for prospective voters at a campaign event.
Mahant, an Avon trucking company owner, is challenging State Representative Greg Steuerwald in the District 40 Republican primary. Steuerwald, who has held the seat since 2007, is the third-ranking Republican in the Indiana House.
The first complaint, filed by a Democratic poll judge, alleged Mahant entered a polling place while voters were present and introduced himself to election workers before being asked to leave and ultimately escorted out. According to a statement released by Hendricks County Republican Party Chairman J. Philip Clay, a 50-foot boundary marked with blue tape had been established outside the polling location. Mahant told the board he was unaware he was not permitted in the polling area and said he intended only to thank poll workers.
Indiana law generally prohibits campaigning, electioneering, or loitering by anyone other than voters, election officials, and authorized observers within 50 feet of the entrance to a polling place during voting hours.
The second complaint, filed by a Republican, concerned a video invitation in which Mahant encouraged registered District 40 voters age 18 and older to meet him at Nautical Bowls, where he offered to purchase a bowl for attendees. Indiana law prohibits offering anything of value to induce a person to vote, and the statute does not require the gift to be conditioned on a vote for a particular candidate.
After hearing from Mahant, his attorney, and the complainants, the board voted 3-0 on each matter to refer the complaints to Hendricks County Prosecutor Loren Delp’s office for a determination on potential charges.
Clay, in his statement announcing the outcome, said the proceedings showed “the law will be applied consistently in Hendricks County” and praised both parties for what he called a shared commitment to fair elections.
The referrals are the latest twist in an unusually contentious District 40 Republican primary. In late March, Clay filed a separate complaint with the Indiana Republican State Committee alleging Mahant was not a Republican in good standing because of a 2021 contribution attributed to him that benefited a Democratic state representative. Indiana Republican Party District 4 officials denied that complaint, and Clay declined to appeal.
Mahant has self-funded much of his campaign, depositing $500,000 of his own money into his account, and has cast himself as an outsider taking on the GOP establishment. Steuerwald has not responded to recent media requests for comment.
A referral from the elections board does not mean charges will be filed. The prosecutor’s office will review the matter and determine whether the evidence supports a criminal filing. As of publication, no charging decision has been announced.
Early voting in the District 40 primary is already underway. Election Day is Tuesday.
