Fraud alleged in county elections

The investigation into possible voter fraud in Monroe County begins today as a team of inspectors descends upon the Monroe County Justice Building to examine paper ballots, poll books and absentee materials. \nRepublican Mike Sodrel, the candidate elected earlier this month to the U.S. House of Representatives in Indiana's 9th District, charges that hundreds of ineligible voters cast ballots on Nov. 2. \nSodrel filed a petition with the Indiana Recount Commission last Friday, and the Commission agreed Tuesday to launch an investigation into the allegations. The Indiana State Police have impounded and sealed all voter registration records for Monroe County.\nDemocrat Baron Hill, the incumbent Congressman defeated by Sodrel, filed a separate charge asking the Indiana Recount Commission to investigate all votes cast in the 20-county 9th District. \nHill lost by 1,485 votes, or .5 percent of the total vote. \nThe Indiana Recount Commission begins that investigation today, too. \nChairman of the Monroe County Republicans John Shean said he first suspected voter fraud before the election. His party had mailed campaign information to 12,000 newly-registered voters, and hundreds of those mailings were returned by the Post Office as undeliverable.\n"That is odd for newly-registered voters," Shean said. "That's one of the aspects we're looking into."\nJim Bopp, attorney for the Sodrel campaign, said the charges are also based on "huge increases" in the number of registered voters in some precincts. Also drawing suspicion is "the unusual pattern" that Sodrel received more votes than he did in his 2002 race against Hill in every county in the 9th district except for Monroe County.\n"He lost Monroe County by 900 votes two years ago," Bopp said. "He lost by 7,000 this time. That raises a serious concern that we've had ineligible voters vote."\nDan Combs, chairman of the Monroe County Democrats, said the number of votes Sodrel received was similar to the number received by most other Republicans. He said an increase in registered voters was no surprise with the high interest in the presidential and gubernatorial campaigns. \nCombs said hundreds of IU students leave Monroe County each year and returned mailings prove nothing. He has asked the Republicans to release the names of the voters believed to be ineligible. \n"This is an unsubstantiated claim," Combs said. "The Sodrel campaign on this issue is as windy as a baked bean factory."\nHe accused Sodrel of driving a wedge between Monroe County and the rest of District 9. \nHill's petition asks for a massive recount and alleges that mistakes occurred in the programming of voting machines that make it "impossible" to determine who won. He also claims a number of voting machines malfunctioned. \nThe Indiana Recount Commission has not estimated the cost of either investigation.\nHowever, a recount in a state senate contest conducted after the May primaries involving candidates Larry Borst and Brent Waltz cost $60,000 and involved only two counties -- Marion and Johnson.\nThe 9th Congressional District includes 20 counties and 613 precincts.\nSince last Friday, the Indiana State Police have spent $15,000 impounding election materials, said Kate Shepherd, communications director for the secretary of state. \nShepherd said the Recount Commission hopes to complete the recount in December, although it could take longer.\n"Secretary of State Todd Rokita has said you can't put a deadline on thoroughness," Shepherd said. \nThree types of voting machines were used in the southern Indiana district: optical scans, punch cards and touch screen machines. The State Board of Accounts, charged with conducting the investigation, will examine each of the 287,510 paper ballots cast. \nTen teams of two people each have been designated to handle the ballots. Republican and Democrat watchers fielded by the candidates will be able to monitor the recount but will not touch the ballots. \nThe 2000 presidential recount in Florida became infamous for the difficulty inspectors faced in deciphering the punch cards. While some Indiana counties also use punch cards, Shepherd said there will not be widespread confusion about hanging or pregnant chads. \nIndiana election laws are very specific about counting ballots, Shepherd said. \n"You're not going to see those problems here," she said. \n-- Contact staff writer Adam VanOsdol at avanosdo@indiana.edu.