(La Porte County, IN) - With a sudden change to the Democratic ticket in the U.S. presidential race, will there be any problem updating ballots in Indiana?

 

The answer, according to La Porte County Clerk Heather Stevens, is no.

 

“When Joe Biden withdrew,” she said, “all of us clerks were kind of scrambling. One of the clerks immediately had contacted the Indiana Election Division.” Stevens said that all 92 county clerks were reassured that “yes, we can get whoever the Democratic candidate will be on the ballot, so there’s plenty of time.”

 

Stevens didn’t guarantee who the Democratic candidate will be, because, even though Kamala Harris has verbally secured enough delegate support, she won’t be officially named until the party’s national convention in a few weeks. Harris received no consideration in Indiana’s May primary, since Joe Biden was unopposed at the time. For presidential nominations in Indiana, party primaries are little more than a formality to involve rank-and-file members. According to state law, it’s up to the state chairman of each political party to certify the candidates for president and vice president.

 

Earlier this week, Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales affirmed that September 10 “is the deadline for the Indiana State Party Chair of the Democratic Party to certify the names of the party’s candidates for president and vice-president of the United States.”

 

Of course, Republicans have already certified their candidate, Donald J. Trump. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is also expected to land on Indiana ballots, having recently submitted enough signatures for an independent bid.

 

September 16 is the deadline for counties to print ballots. Early voting in Indiana starts October 8.