INDIANAPOLIS — On Sunday’s edition of “All INdiana Politics,” Government Reporter Garrett Bergquist sat down with two candidates who are running for secretary of state, Republican Max Engling and independent Greg Ballard.
Both candidates outlined contrasting approaches to restore credibility to an office plagued by controversy under outgoing Secretary Diego Morales. They both presented different visions for election security and business registration.
Engling promises IG cooperation
Engling, who won the Republican nomination over Morales, pledged to work with the state’s independent inspector general to audit the office. The longtime Capitol Hill staffer, who previously worked for Senator Jim Banks, said he would provide full cooperation rather than direct investigators.
“The IG doesn’t operate in a fashion where you tell them what to do. It’s an independent inspector general,” Engling said. “We want to make sure we’re giving them the information that they need.”
He proposed changing driver’s license background colors to distinguish legal residents from eligible voters, making it easier for poll workers to verify citizenship. Engling also advocated expanding early voting hours to accommodate working Hoosiers.
Engling said cleaning voter rolls and partnering with veteran service officers and community foundations could boost participation in a state with one of the worst voter turnout rates in the country.
Ballard calls for criminal probe
Ballard, who served as Indianapolis mayor from 2007 to 2015, took a harder line. He wants law enforcement to conduct a criminal investigation of Morales’ tenure.
“What you’ve been reporting on, what everybody knows publicly, is hardly most of what’s been going on in that office,” Ballard said. “It’s just like an iceberg.”
The former Republican mayor promised to remove partisan politics from the office entirely, refusing to endorse candidates or fundraise for political parties. He proposed creating a precinct-level voter guide, available both as a hard copy and mobile app, to educate citizens about candidates and ballot measures.
Ballard wants to replace partisan members of the election and recount commissions with administrative law judges. He also advocates maintaining the current 30-day early voting period after one party proposed shortening it to two weeks.
Business portal overhaul
Both candidates acknowledged problems with Indiana’s business licensing portal. Engling, who filed his own LLC through the system, called the experience “pretty straightforward” but said improvements could make lookups more user-friendly.
He emphasized cracking down on fraudulent trucking companies that dissolve and refile LLCs to avoid liability after accidents involving unqualified drivers.
Ballard promised a simpler website requiring just “a few clicks” to register a business. He proposed reducing filing fees, extending the re-registration period beyond two years, and adding links to organizations like SCORE and the Small Business Administration.
Four-way race
The candidates face Democrat Beau Bayh and Libertarian Lauri Shillings in the November election. Republican analyst Lacey Berkshire said Indiana’s status as a reliably red state for 15 years favors Engling despite his late entry.
“All INdiana Politics” airs at 9:30 a.m. Sundays on WISH-TV.
