Greg Ballard, a former two-term Republican mayor of Indianapolis, is pursuing an independent run for Indiana secretary of state — and says he has more than enough signatures to land on the November ballot, even as a state investigation into potential signature fraud clouds the effort.
What Happened
Ballard’s campaign submitted more than 52,000 signatures to qualify for the fall election, well above the roughly 37,000 required under Indiana law. If certified, his candidacy would appear on the ballot under the “Lincoln Party” label, setting up a four-way general election race against Republican Max Engling, Democrat Beau Bayh, and Libertarian Lauri Shillings.
“There are more independents in Indiana than Republicans or Democrats, and this November they will finally have a true independent to vote for,” Ballard said in a public statement.
The campaign also disclosed paying $450 in fines after two campaign finance donation reports were filed past their deadlines — a minor compliance issue that Ballard’s team has since resolved.
Fraud Investigation
The more significant complication involves the Indiana State Police, which is actively investigating whether a campaign volunteer submitted fraudulent signatures. Hamilton County Election Administrator Beth Sheller’s office flagged the problem after staff discovered suspect petitions in late May or early June.
Sheller described the scope of the issue bluntly: “Nine out of 10 of these addresses were not real addresses.”
County election staff are responsible for verifying that submitted signatures belong to registered voters. A prosecutor will ultimately decide whether criminal charges are warranted against the volunteer involved.
Because Ballard submitted a substantial buffer above the minimum threshold, his campaign may still qualify even if a portion of signatures are disqualified — but the investigation introduces uncertainty into the certification timeline. The Republican secretary of state nomination was decided by convention delegates earlier this year, meaning Engling enters the fall race already secured as the GOP candidate.
By the Numbers
- 52,000+ signatures submitted by the Ballard campaign
- ~37,000 signatures required to qualify for the ballot
- $450 in fines paid for late campaign finance filings
- 2 donation reports filed after their deadlines
- 4 candidates in the general election if Ballard qualifies
What’s Next
Indiana election officials must complete their signature verification process before Ballard can be formally certified. The fraud investigation runs on a separate track — law enforcement and county officials will assess how many signatures are invalid and whether the disqualifications are sufficient to affect Ballard’s eligibility. A prosecutor’s charging decision could come at any point during that review period.
If Ballard does qualify, the fall race will mark a rare competitive independent run for a statewide administrative office in Indiana, where the two major parties have historically dominated down-ballot contests.