Hoosier State Today

Common Cause Indiana and the League of Women Voters Indiana have submitted an amicus brief to the Indiana Supreme Court. The organizations are urging the court to maintain a ruling that declared a 2021 state law unconstitutional. This law requires candidates in party primaries to have voted in the last two primaries for their respective party or obtain a signature from the top county party official where they reside.

John Rust, who is running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Indiana, filed a lawsuit against this law in September 2023. As of that time, Rust had participated in only one Republican primary, and his county's Republican Party chair refused to sign his candidacy paperwork. Consequently, Rust was denied ballot access due to insufficient voting history and lack of support from the party official.

A trial court ruled in favor of Rust, stating that the "affiliation statute" violated his 1st and 14th amendment rights as well as those of his supporters. Common Cause Indiana and the League of Women Voters Indiana are advocating for this decision to be upheld by the state's Supreme Court.

Julia Vaughn, Executive Director of Common Cause Indiana, commented: “Indiana should not be trying to unfairly restrict candidates’ access to the ballot, limiting choices in a state that already battles low turnout and voter apathy. We should work to increase both ballot access and voting.” She added that although they typically do not engage in internal party matters, this issue affects voters significantly.

Linda Hanson, President of the League of Women Voters of Indiana, expressed hope that “the Indiana Supreme Court upholds the lower court ruling that the affiliation state is unconstitutional.” She emphasized that restrictive ballot access laws limit voter choices and supported the trial court judge's decision as protecting constitutional rights.

The amicus brief was filed on January 11, 2024. The case will be heard by the Indiana Supreme Court at 9 a.m. on February 12, 2024.