River Karner, Lafayette Journal & Courier
After spending much of my life teaching and being involved in my community, I've become increasingly concerned about how deeply partisan politics has seeped into nearly every aspect of public life. That's one reason I'm supporting Greg Ballard for Indiana secretary of state.
I have always believed that institutions work best when they serve the people they are intended to serve, not a particular political interest. I think our elections deserve that same kind of independence. The person responsible for administering our elections should be independent of the candidates and political parties competing in those elections.
Former Mayor Ballard has said that if elected, he would not endorse, donate or raise money for candidates. Further, he has said that he would seek to make that standard part of the law. This takes partisan politics out of this office.
Another and perhaps more important reason I support Ballard is that I appreciate his proposal for a personalized statewide voters' guide. Democracy works better when people have the opportunity to become informed before they are filling out their ballots. And Ballard says the guide would be nonpartisan, with candidate statements supplied by the candidates themselves rather than political messaging from the secretary of state's office.
Finally, I believe Ballard's experience as the mayor of Indianapolis is invaluable. He is the only candidate running for this office who has led a large and complicated government.
The secretary of state belongs to the people of Indiana — not to a political party. Greg Ballard has earned my vote, and I urge other voters to give him serious consideration.
River Karner is a Lafayette resident.
This article originally appeared in the Lafayette Journal & Courier.