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Bluffton, Ind.

Aug. 5, 2005

By Sarah Pulliam
The county clerk’s office burst into laughter after Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita responded to deputy clerk LeaAnn Johnson’s question.
“What time zone are we going to?” Johnson asked.
“I better leave before I have to answer that,” Rokita answered.
Rokita dropped into Wells County Thursday as part of his election-reform efforts.
Running for re-election in 2006, Rokita travels more than 50,000 miles to each of Indiana’s 92 counties every year.
As the third highest ranking state official Rokita’s visit marks the second state official visit this summer. Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman toured Pretzels Inc. July 26.
Rokita came from Tipton County and was on his way to Randolph and Delaware counties to distribute reimbursement checks for new voting equipment.
Wells County already received $223,600 for the equipment, but Rokita spent 30 minutes with The News-Banner and then walked over to the county courthouse to speak with the deputy clerks about the new system for about 10 minutes.
He commended the clerks for their efforts to purge election records.
The county clerk employees looked surprised but pleased at the unexpected visit.
County clerk Beth Davis was at lunch during Rokita’s surprise appearance and said she was disappointed she wasn’t there when he visited but was glad that he came.
“I cannot believe I missed it,” Davis said. “I think it’s great that he takes the time to come to counties, especially small counties like ours.”
In his interview with The News-Banner, Rokita explained that elections account for about 70 percent of his job and he wants to raise Hoosier awareness of new voting laws.
Accounts of voter fraud are mostly anecdotal because there was no way to prove voter identification outside of matching signatures in poll books.
Rokita spoke of the new voter photo ID state law that went into effect July 1, affecting all voters across the state.
Voters will be required to show a government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport.
If a voter is unable to present ID at the polling place, the voter can cast a “provisional ballot” and has 13 days to provide proof of identification for the vote to be counted.
Exceptions can be made for voters who have religious objections to being photographed.
The Bureau of Motor Vehicles will issue a free photo identification card that expires like a driver’s license to anyone who does not have a government-issued ID card.
It is unclear how much the free ID plan will cost the state at this point but the money will come from the state budget, according to Rokita’s Communications Director AJ Feeney-Ruiz.
Rokita said 19 other states have similar laws and 25 states were considering an ID law in the past legislative session.
He makes the comparison that Hoosiers already need to present ID when renting a movie, buying a gun and cashing a check.
“But we don’t need one to exercise our most important right?” he said.
Rokita knows that with 25,000 poll workers, there are going to be mistakes.
“I want to make sure the mistakes that occur are honest ones,” he said.
Indiana is moving to a statewide voter registration by Jan. 1, 2006. If a voter moves to another county, county clerks will be notified and can make appropriate changes.
Rokita said the new statewide voter registration will cost the state $13 million, being paid for through state and federal taxes.
“My theory is if people have more confidence in the voting process, they are going to come out and vote,” Rokita said.
Rokita hopes to raise voter turnout in the next election through public service announcements in media outlets such as newspapers, television and radio.
Fifty-eight percent of Hoosiers voted in the 2004 election while 62 percent of Wells County voted.
In another effort to decrease voter fraud, a new law went into effect establishing penalties for electioneering while a voter is absentee voting.
The law also requires anyone assisting a voter in completing the absentee ballot application to sign an affidavit indicating the assistance.
Rokita said, “Since 2000, people across the world are watching us. If we can’t get elections right, we lose our credibility.”