Voter guide: Ballots, candidate Q&As, where to vote on and before Nov. 5
A primer on the Nov. 5 general election, including where to vote, who will be on ballots in Tippecanoe County, candidate Q&As and what’s at stake in contested races.
Early voting ahead of the Nov. 5 general election started Oct. 8 and continues until Monday, Nov. 4.
There are contested races on Tippecanoe County ballots for president, governor, U.S. Senate and Houses, Indiana attorney general, several Indiana General Assembly seats, Tippecanoe County commissioner and Tippecanoe County Council at-large seats, several county elected seats, and Lafayette, West Lafayette and Tippecanoe school corporation school boards.
A few things to know before heading to the polls:
THE CANDIDATES AND RACES
For a look at all the candidates who will be on ballots in the Nov. 5 election in Tippecanoe County, check here.
VOTER REGISTRATION/BALLOTS
To check your voter registration and to see candidates and public questions that will be on your specific ballot, go to the Secretary of State’s portal at www.indianavoters.com.
EARLY VOTING SITES
In Tippecanoe County, registered voters may cast their ballot at any vote center. Here’s the schedule.
Oct. 8-Oct. 11, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
Oct. 15-Oct. 18, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
Oct. 19, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., McAllister Center, 2351 N. 20th St., Lafayette
Oct. 21-Oct. 25, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
Oct. 22, noon-5 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1700 Mitch Daniels Boulevard, West Lafayette
Oct. 24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Purdue Co-Rec, 355 N. Martin Jischke Drive, West Lafayette.
Oct. 26, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., West Point Fire Station, 4949 Indiana 25 S., West Point; Otterbein United Methodist Church, 405 Oxford St., Otterbein; Clarks Hill Christian Church, 9510 Pearl St., Clarks Hill; 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette;
Oct. 28-Nov. 1, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
Oct. 29-Nov. 1, noon-6 p.m., Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette; Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette; Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette; John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette.
Nov. 2, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette; Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette; Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette; John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette.
Nov. 2, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
Nov. 4, 8 a.m.-noon, Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
ELECTION DAY VOTE CENTERS
Voting on Tuesday, Nov. 5, will be 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Registered voters in Tippecanoe County may choose any of these sites.
Lafayette
Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road
Lafayette Community Church of the Nazarene, 3801 Union St.
Evangelical Covenant Church, 3600 S. Ninth St.
Tippecanoe County Historical Association History Center, 522 Columbia St.
Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South
Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South
Northend Community Center, 2000 Elmwood Ave.
West Lafayette
Faith West Community Center, 1920 Northwestern Ave.
Margerum City Hall/West Lafayette City Hall, 222 N. Chauncey Ave.
Connection Point Church, 2541 Cumberland Ave.
John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road
Others
Dayton Gathering Point Church, 7201 Wesleyan Drive, Dayton
Shadeland Town Hall, 2485 Indiana 25 West, Shadeland
Battle Ground Fire Station, 112 North St., Battle Ground
Tippecanoe Township Volunteer Fire Station No. 2, 448 W. County Road 650 North, West Lafayette
ON THE BALLOT
Here are candidates and questions on Tippecanoe County ballots for the Nov. 5 general election. (Incumbents are marked with an asterisk*.) To see your specific ballot, go to the Secretary of State’s portal at www.indianavoters.com.
Tippecanoe County
Commissioner, District 2: David Byers*, R; Steve Mayoras, Libertarian
Commissioner, District 3: Tom Murtaugh*, R; Jaime Ortiz, Libertarian
County Council, at-large (choose 3): Republicans: John Basham*, Barry Richard* and Kevin Underwood*. Democrats: Katy Bunder, Ben Carson and Amanda Eldridge. Libertarians: Dean Bertelli, Holly Mayoras and Randy Young
Coroner: Carrie Costello*, R; Benjamin Milanowski, Libertarian
Treasurer: Yadira Salazar*, R
Surveyor: Zach Beasley*, R
Judge, Circuit Court: Sean Persin*, R
Judge, Superior Court 6: Michael Morrissey*, R
Statehouse races
House District 13: Matthew Commons, R; Ed Moyer Jr., D
House District 26: Chris Campbell*, D; Jim Schenke, R
House District 27: Sheila Klinker*, D; Oscar Alvarez, R
House District 38: Heath VanNatter*, R; Carl Seese, D
House District 41: Mark Genda*, R; Dan Sikes, D
Statewide
Governor: Mike Braun, R; Jennifer McCormick, D; Donald Rainwater, Libertarian
Attorney General: Todd Rokita, R; Destiny Wells, D
Federal
President: Kamala Harris, D; Donald Trump, R; Chase Oliver, Libertarian; Robert F. Kennedy Jr., We the People
U.S. House, District 4: Jim Baird*, R; Ashley Groff, Libertarian; Derrick Holder, D;
U.S. Senate: Jim Banks, R; Valerie McCray, D; Andrew Horning, Libertarian
Townships
Shadeland Township Board: Michael Kuipers, Pamela Luenz, Robert Morrison Jr. and Josh Shives, R.
Shadeland Clerk-Treasurer: Charlene Brown, R
School boards
Lafayette School Corp., at-large (choose 3): Ebony Barrett*, Josiah Eller, Margaret Hass, James Hass, Ronald “Rocky” Hession, Gary Mueller and Julie Peretin*.
Tippecanoe School Corp.
District 4: Jake Burton*
District 5: Julia Cummings*
District 6: Connie Harper
District 7: Brad Anderson*
West Lafayette Community School Corp., at-large (choose 4): Amy Austin*, Maria Koliantz, George Lyle, David Purpura, Beau Scott and Yue Yin*.
Public questions
Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to remove the state superintendent of public instruction from the list of officeholders who shall discharge the powers and duties of the governor if the office of the governor and lieutenant governor are both vacant?
Shall Indiana Supreme Court Justice Mark S. Massa be retained in office?
Shall Indiana Supreme Court Justice Derek Read Molter be retained in office?
Shall Indiana Supreme Court Justice Loretta Rush be retained in office?
Shall Indiana Appeals Court Judge Rudolph Reginald Pyle III be retained in office?
CANDIDATE Q&AS
Based in Lafayette asked a series of questions and gathered bios of candidates in contested races that will be on Tippecanoe County ballots.
U.S. House, 4th District
U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, seeking a fourth term in Congress, will face Democrat Derrick Holder and Libertarian Ashely Groff on the November ballot in Indiana’s 4th District. The 4th District takes in much of west-central Indiana, including Tippecanoe and surrounding counties.
Indiana House, District 13
Matt Commons, a high school teacher who beat state Rep. Sharon Negele in the May Republican primary, faces Edward Moyer Jr., an educator and Democrat from Hillsboro, for the Indiana House District 13 seat in the Nov. 5 general election. The district includes a large part of southern and northern Tippecanoe County, along with all of Benton and Warren counties, and portions of Fountain, Jasper, Montgomery, Newton and White counties.
Indiana House, District 26
State Rep. Chris Campbell, a West Lafayette Democrat, is looking for her fourth two-year terms in Indiana House District 26, challenged by West Lafayette Republican Jim Schenke in the November general election. House District 26 covers West Lafayette and a section west of the city to the Tippecanoe County line.
Indiana House, District 27
Sheila Klinker, a Lafayette Democrat first elected to the Indiana House in 1982, faces Republican Oscar Alvarez for the Indiana House seat in District 27. The district includes the eastern part of Tippecanoe County, including Lafayette.
Indiana House, District 41
State Rep. Mark Genda, a Republican from Frankfort first elected to the General Assembly in 2022, faces Democrat Dan Sikes on the Nov. 5 ballot in Indiana House District 41. The district includes a large part of southeastern Tippecanoe County, along with parts of Clinton and Boone counties.
Tippecanoe County commissioner, District 2
Republican David Byers, a dairy farmer running for a fifth term as Tippecanoe County commissioner, faces a challenge from Libertarian Steve Mayoras in the Nov. 5 general election. The seat represents District 2, which covers much of the western portion of Tippecanoe County. County commissioners oversee county policies and the day-to-day operations of county government. The candidates appear on ballots across Tippecanoe County, not just District 2.
Tippecanoe County commissioner, District 3
Republican Tom Murtaugh faces a challenge from Libertarian Jaime Ortiz in the Nov. 5 general election for a Tippecanoe County commissioner seat he first won in 2008. The seat represents District 3, which covers eastern, central and southern portions of Tippecanoe County. County commissioners oversee county policies and the day-to-day operations of county government. The candidates appear on ballots across Tippecanoe County, not just District 3.
Tippecanoe County Council, three at-large seats
Nine candidates, including three incumbents, are on the Nov. 5 ballot for three seats on the Tippecanoe County Council. The ballot for the at-large seats includes:
Republican incumbents: John Basham, Barry Richard and Kevin Underwood.
Democrats: Katy Bunder, Ben Carson and Amanda Eldridge.
Libertarians: Dean Bertelli, Holly Mayoras and Randy Young.
The seven-member county council oversees the county’s budget and other fiscal matters.
Tippecanoe County coroner
Coroner Carrie Costello is being challenged by in the 2024 election by Benji Milanowski, a Libertarian who ran for Lafayette mayor in 2023.
Lafayette School Board, three at-large seats
Seven candidates, including two incumbents, are on the ballot for three seats on the Lafayette School Corp. school board. Ebony Barrett and Julie Peretin, board members appointed to seats during the past four years, will face Josiah Eller, Jim Hass, Margaret Hass, Rocky Hession and Gary Mueller in the Nov. 5 general election. (LSC school board member Dave Moulton is not running for re-election.) The candidates are running for at-large seats, meaning they will appear on ballots across LSC. Candidates run for the seven-member school board without party label.
West Lafayette school board, four at-large seats
Six candidates will be on the Nov. 5 ballot, running for four at-large seats on the West Lafayette school board. Here, the six – incumbents Amy Austin and Yue Yin, along with Maria Koliantz, George Lyle, David Purpura and Beau Scott – answer questions about their approaches to serving on the seven-member school board.
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Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.
Dave, Your election coverage has been superb. Thank you for putting good info out there on all the candidates. I especially appreciated your clear statement when there was no response.
Whatever happens in the election, know you did your best to help us make an informed decision for each position. Thank you.
Eileen
As a poll volunteer, I can share that nothing makes the day go faster than when there's a steady stream of engaged citizens exercising a most important franchise. A free press helps all who vote.