Indiana Battleground Report: Barack Obama Set to Visit Indiana as Fraud Issues Still in Play

Having lived in Indiana for most of my life, I know that it is historically a Republican stronghold. Hoosiers have to go back to 1968 to remember a time when a Democratic candidate captured the majority of the presidential votes. This year, however, the election is so close that Barack Obama is actually taking the time to visit Indiana again, on Thursday, October 23 - making that visit even before he visits his ailing grandmother.

Democrats hope this appearance could help clinch the state for Obama or tighten the already close polls even more.

It is hard to believe that Obama would visit Indiana if he truly took Indiana for granted or saw it as a sure thing for his campaign. The race is that tight- and absolutely that crucial - for both candidates in Indiana this year. It has made for an election year that is among the most exciting in memory for many Hoosiers. Indiana as a toss-up state. Indiana with a possible Democratic win (and by 6 pm, when the election polls close in the state).

Imagine a Democratic presidential candidate having a chance in a state where Republicans win 61 percent of the votes, on average. Imagine a Democratic presidential candidate taking the time to stop by Indiana in October. That hasn't happened since 1964, when Lyndon Johnson made a visit to the state. Usually Indiana isn't considered much of a factor. Now we're important enough to warrant a visit by Sen. Barack Obama, stopping for a brief visit before traveling to visit his very sick grandmother.

A tight margin, making Indiana a toss-up at this point, could compel Obama to try and tighten the gap even more

The latest polls from Real Clear Politics here show that McCain may still have the slimmest of edges in Indiana, with McCain leading at 48.5 percent to 45 percent. But when poll results from various polling sources are compiled there, the state is listed as a "toss up" and that could mean it is anyone's game. Although race and other issues have been discussed as potential factors in Indiana, the economy seems to be trumping anything else. Home foreclosures are at record levels in Indiana, although slightly better than earlier in the year.

Indiana voter fraud allegations and dirty tactics are being raised by both Republicans and Democrats

All of this is happening, however, amidst reports of voter fraud and other issues that could potentially affect who is allowed to vote on election day - or swing the election one way or the other. Democrats say Republicans are using unfair tactics, allegedly leaving automated messages on Indiana answering machines, ones that accuse Sen. Obama of working closely with a terrorist, according to this article in the Indianapolis Star on Oct 18, seen here

Republicans are unhappy, too. Go to the Indiana Secretary of State website here and you'll find a link in the section called Other Election Resources. Right under that is a link to a site where Secretary of State Todd Rokita addresses allegations of voter fraud in Indiana. Click on that link and you'll be taken to a Fox News story where it is noted that Indiana had 105 percent voter registration in some areas, a clear reason for concern.

In the Fox News report, Rokita talks about the seriousness of the ACORN issue, with further links to Fox news stories that take a hard tack against Obama and ACORN. Again, you can find this information on the Secretary of State's page (link above).

In the video interview, Rokita also noted that the bipartisan election board did a "sloppy job" in cleaning up the election rolls and verifying voter registration. I have some personal experience to support that. Even though my father-in-law died many years ago, we received a recent call wanting to know if he was registered or needed transportation on Election Day. Somehow the fact that he was long deceased, with an official death certificate, had escaped anyone's detection. Presumably, he was in some Indiana voter registration database. Otherwise, why would we have been called? Why would someone had offered to take him to vote?

Some Indiana college students may also face hurdles when trying to vote

Because Indiana has some of the strictest voter identification rules in the country, photo ID is required to vote. Not just any photo ID will pass muster. It has to be issued by the state of Indiana or the U.S. government. Because of this, students at private universities may not be able to vote, especially if they assume they can use their student photo ID as proof of their identity. That fact is clearly spelled out at the Secretary of State's website here . All photo ID must have a photo, a name that conforms to voter registration records, an expiration date and (as noted above) be issued by the State of Indiana or U.S. government. Drivers' licenses, passports and military ID can be used but not all college students drive or have other forms of acceptable identification. This could be an issue come Election Day.

I spoke with Angie Nussmeyer, Public Information Officer for the Marion County Clerk's office, who also verified the rules about student IDs. I do wonder how many students are up to speed on the requirements for voting in Indiana. If students don't have acceptable ID on voting day, they can cast a provisional ballot but must provide proper documents within 10 days of the election or note if they meet the criteria for any of the law's exemptions. Exemptions, however, have very strict requirement and are primarily for those who are poor, live in certain facilities or are other special cases. If students fail to come up with documentation within 10 days of the election, their votes could be tossed out.

Can Indiana voters who've faced foreclosure still vote?

After speaking with Angie Nussmeyer about student voting rights, I brought up the home foreclosure issue, noting that I had gotten varied answers from different County Clerks. Nussmeyer said that people who lost their homes to foreclosure but moved into the same county and congressional district should be able to vote with no problems (assuming their registrations and voter identification is in order).

However, those who moved into a different district and failed to register before October 6th could face challenges - or even have votes tossed out. What concerned me the most was the different answers I got from various county clerks. Some employees told me that people who'd moved in the wake of foreclosures could not vote if they moved to another county. Others said that the former homeowners could vote "one more time" in their old home district.

If someone got that answer, would the person even show up to vote? Would he or she try to use a provisional ballot? Are people with foreclosed homes at risk of losing their voting rights for this election in Indiana? What about those who have moved in with relatives or have no new home?

Again, Nussmeyer said that those who moved outside their district could possibly return to their original - or former home district - and vote one more time. This was not an answer given to me by every county clerk, however. There seemed to be some confusion about this. Some said those with foreclosed homes could vote. Some weren't sure and some had to ask their supervisors for an answer.

What effect will Obama's next visit have on the election?

The polls, of course, will help tell the story after Obama's Thursday visit but the Democrats must be hoping that he'll help sway undecided voters to cast their vote for Obama. Recently, Obama's wife, Michelle Obama and Gov. Palin visited the state, both in the same week of Oct 17th. You can read about that here as well as their key talking points (primarily, the economy) Obama's decision to visit Indiana on Thursday, especially with a critically ill grandmother, is taken by many as a sign of just how vital the Hoosier state, Indiana, could be. Indiana as a battleground and swing state...it seems surreal to many Hoosiers.

What is troubling to Republican supporters is how small a footprint McCain has in the state. He hasn't been in Indiana since July and Obama supporters who show up on our doorstep, offering information, far outweigh those who do the same for McCain. There are also far more ads for Obama appearing on television. Obama is not taking Indiana - or the presidential race - for granted. Will McCain do anything more to try and reach Indiana voters before election day? With limited funds (compared to Obama), he may not be able to stop in Indiana again, especially with other key states still in play.

Sources:

1. GOP Stronghold Indiana a Surprise Toss-up, Chicago Tribune, Oct 18: here

2. Real Clear Politics poll, Indiana: McCain vs Obama, as of Oct 21: here

3. Calls Tying Obama to Terrorist Criticized, Indianapolis Star, Oct 18: here

4. Angie Nussmeyer, Public Information Officer for the Marion County Clerk's Office

5. Indiana Secretary of State website: http://www.in.gov/sos/