MADISON CO., Ind. (ADAMS) – A precinct committeeman from Madison County has been arrested by the Indiana State Police (ISP) for allegedly stealing ballots following an incident earlier this month.
ISP says that Larry Savage was charged on October 28 with a felony for destroying or misplacing a ballot and a misdemeanor for theft.
The incident occurred during a public test of the ballot card voting system at the Madison County Government Center on October 3. During this Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP) test, which involved four voting machines and 136 actual candidate ballots designated for testing, officials discovered that two ballots were missing after the initial count.
An investigation revealed videos showing Savage allegedly folding the ballots and placing them in his pocket after being informed about the nature of the test ballots. Following this, police executed a search warrant at Savage’s residence and found the missing ballots in his car.
Savage turned himself in on Tuesday.
Indiana State Police released the following:
The Indiana State Police have arrested Larry Savage, a precinct committeeman, following an incident during a public test of the ballot card voting system at the Madison County Government Center on October 3, 2024.
The Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP) is designed to test all the election equipment used in Indiana for an added layer of safety and security. The test requires manual entry of a pre-audit group of ballots marked to record a predetermined number of valid votes for each candidate and on each public question. After the testing process, the ballots used are treated as if they were used on election day. Before the ballot card voting system can be used in an election, the machines are required to be tested openly to representatives of political parties, candidates, media, and the public.
During the test, which involved four voting machines and 136 actual candidate ballots marked for testing, officials discovered that two ballots were missing after an initial tabulation. A subsequent investigation revealed videos of Savage folding and placing both ballots in his pocket after receiving instructions about the validity of the test ballots. A judge granted a search warrant that law enforcement executed at Savage’s residence, where officers found the missing ballots in his vehicle.
Tuesday, around 9:30 a.m., Committeeman Larry Savage turned himself in at the Madison County Jail after an arrest warrant was issued.
Larry Savage was charged with:
Destroying or Misplacing a Ballot, a Level 6 Felony.
Theft, a Class A Misdemeanor.
The Indiana State Police will continue to investigate these matter to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
For further questions or updates, please contact the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office.
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