Lucy Tobier
Indianapolis Star
Former Indianapolis Republican Mayor Greg Ballard is officially on the ballot for secretary of state.
While counties are continuing to verify additional signatures, Ballard has now met the threshold of 37,000 signatures to be listed on the November general election ballot. As of July 2, election officials had certified 40,000 signatures.
Ballard is running as an independent through his newly formed Lincoln Party. He said the party was named after former President Abraham Lincoln for his values of "unity, integrity, and bringing people together." If Ballard receives at least 2% of the vote in November, future independents will be able to run under the Lincoln Party.
“On the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, it’s fitting that Hoosiers have put an independent on the ballot," Ballard said in an emailed statement. "This means voters will have a real choice in November, just as our founders intended for our elections."
Ballard has repeatedly said a primary goal of his campaign is to give voters more options. According to a poll of 400 people from Independent Indiana, a political organization, 23% of voters would choose Ballard.
"The independents, the rational, practical, problem-solving people, aren't running for office anymore," Ballard told reporters on June 30 at the Marion City-County Building after handing in the last of 74,000 collected signatures.
Ballard will face Republican Max Engling, Democrat Beau Bayh, and Libertarian Lauri Shillings.
This article, written by Lucy Tobier, originally appeared in the IndyStar.