Voting Machine Error in Indiana: Candidate Missing for 2 Weeks

Imagine you run for office, and your name is not on the ballot. That's what happened in an Indiana election, because of a voting machine error.

Here is how a candidate went missing, who finally noticed, and what happens to the 424 votes already cast.

In this article

1. Indiana Election: A Name Added, Then Gone
2. Candidate Missing From the Ballot for Almost Two Weeks
3. 424 Votes Already Cast: Do-Over or New Election?
4. Check Your Ballot Before Voting Starts
5. FAQ

Indiana Election: A Name Added, Then Gone

In Tippecanoe County, Indiana, a man named Holden Mugford is running for local office. One day before early voting starts, his name gets added to the ballot. Everything looks fine.

But then someone fixed a different mistake on the ballot and made a new one: while fixing the ballots, the office loaded an old list of candidates back into the voting machines. An old list without Holden Mugford.

Candidate Missing From the Ballot for Almost Two Weeks

So for almost two weeks, from October 9 to October 21, his name was just gone. On the mail ballots, he was there. On the machines, he was not.

And guess who finally noticed? Not the election office. Another candidate looked at the machine and saw the name was missing.

424 Votes Already Cast: Do-Over or New Election?

By then, 424 people had already voted. They now get a letter and can vote again.

And if the final result is closer than those 424 votes, there could be a whole new election.

Check Your Ballot Before Voting Starts

An old list, and nobody noticed for two weeks. If you run elections in your club or association, check your ballot before voting starts: are all candidates there, with the right names?

With online voting, you can test the ballot before the election opens and have it reviewed by a second person. More on this in our section on security and data protection in online voting.

Should those 424 people get the do-over, or should the whole race be replaced?

FAQ

What caused the voting machine error in Indiana?

While fixing a different mistake on the ballot, the election office loaded an old candidate list back into the voting machines. That list did not include candidate Holden Mugford.

How long was the candidate missing from the ballot?

Almost two weeks, from October 9 to October 21. He was on the mail ballots, but not on the machines.

What happens to the 424 votes already cast?

The 424 voters get a letter and can vote again. If the final result is closer than 424 votes, there could be a whole new election.

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