LaPorte County Election Board places late filer Jason Fraser on primary ballot after procedural review

A special meeting of the LaPorte County Election Board on Feb. 25 resolved a dispute over a late candidate filing and voted to place Jason Fraser on the Democratic primary ballot for precinct committeeman in MC 23.

Jason Fraser told the board he signed and had his CAN-37 declaration of candidacy notarized on Feb. 5 and left the completed form at the voter-registration office. Fraser said he called party contacts and voter-registration staff after the noon filing deadline and learned the paperwork had not been delivered to the clerk's office in time. "I signed everything in person and had it notarized that minute that I signed everything," Fraser said when sworn and questioned by the board.

Voter-registration staff and clerk's office representatives explained that filings must be submitted to the clerk's office to be processed and acknowledged that Fraser's form arrived at the clerk's office after the noon deadline. The board reviewed timestamps and email notices that staff said had been sent to remind filers of the deadline.

The board discussed options, including the statutory challenge schedule and whether the election board had authority to accept a late filing under the election code. After deliberation, the board made and carried a motion to place Fraser on the primary ballot and directed county staff to backdate the filing record to Feb. 5 (the date Fraser said the form was notarized and handed to voter registration). "I would make a motion that Mr. Fraser be placed on the primary ballot," an election-board member said during the meeting before the motion was approved by voice vote (motion carries).

Board members also raised concern that voter registration staff had retained filings rather than delivering them immediately to the clerk's office. Several members urged the two party chairs and their co-directors to meet with voter-registration co-directors to decide which office should retain and transport filings so future paperwork is not delayed. The board said it wanted a procedural fix so that notarized forms left at voter registration are routinely sent to the clerk's office in time to permit challenges and processing.

The board's order directs county staff to prepare a written notation of the filing date and to provide Fraser with notice of the board's action. The board emphasized it was acting on the narrow factual record that Fraser had presented and on its authority to correct process failures that keep otherwise eligible candidates from appearing on a ballot.

What's next: The board advised party leaders to coordinate with voter-registration staff to prevent similar situations and reminded the public that challenge decisions must be finalized by statutory deadlines. The matter of party procedures and any internal party challenges remains separate from the board's administrative action.