Owen County board schedules CFA work session and hears attorney on appeals and notices
March 07, 2026 | Owen County, Indiana
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
The Owen County Election Board opened a substantive discussion on campaign-finance administration and how the county will handle delinquent or defective campaign-finance filings ahead of the primary.
Attorney Richard Lorenz told the board that each county election board administers the Campaign Finance Act and must identify delinquent or defective filings, make a list available for public inspection, and give committees five calendar days to correct defective filings after notice. Lorenz said the challenger filing a notice of appeal has the responsibility to pay for transcription of video and to identify the portions of the record that must be transcribed.
On timing, Lorenz said a notice of appeal generally must be filed within 30 days of the board’s finding (he used March 28 as the deadline example) and warned a court process might not conclude before the primary: “I don't see how any of this can be accomplished before the primary,” he said, noting scheduling, potential judge recusal and briefing could delay resolution.
Board members discussed options for scope and prioritization. Volker and Coffin favored starting with current‑cycle candidates, identifying those with delinquent or defective CF forms, and sending targeted notices. The board recognized nine earlier challenges from the hearing; three candidates had been removed from ballots and six remained to be reviewed. Members agreed to prepare a standard notice template (listing the specific CF form or filing deficiency) and to fill it in after a coordinated file review.
To accomplish that, the board scheduled an administrative work session on March 12 at 9:00 a.m. in the elections office where members will review candidate files and prepare notices. The board also discussed statutory penalties (Lorenz and members referenced a per‑diem penalty figure of $50 per day and a possible maximum around $1,000) and the board's discretion to waive fines in appropriate cases.
Lorenz recommended calling hearings for candidates with outstanding or defective filings and said the board could use public posting to notify voters of delinquent filers. The board accepted that approach and assigned follow-up tasks to the clerk and members to prepare notices and to collect candidate paperwork in advance of the March 12 session.
Attorney Richard Lorenz told the board that each county election board administers the Campaign Finance Act and must identify delinquent or defective filings, make a list available for public inspection, and give committees five calendar days to correct defective filings after notice. Lorenz said the challenger filing a notice of appeal has the responsibility to pay for transcription of video and to identify the portions of the record that must be transcribed.
On timing, Lorenz said a notice of appeal generally must be filed within 30 days of the board’s finding (he used March 28 as the deadline example) and warned a court process might not conclude before the primary: “I don't see how any of this can be accomplished before the primary,” he said, noting scheduling, potential judge recusal and briefing could delay resolution.
Board members discussed options for scope and prioritization. Volker and Coffin favored starting with current‑cycle candidates, identifying those with delinquent or defective CF forms, and sending targeted notices. The board recognized nine earlier challenges from the hearing; three candidates had been removed from ballots and six remained to be reviewed. Members agreed to prepare a standard notice template (listing the specific CF form or filing deficiency) and to fill it in after a coordinated file review.
To accomplish that, the board scheduled an administrative work session on March 12 at 9:00 a.m. in the elections office where members will review candidate files and prepare notices. The board also discussed statutory penalties (Lorenz and members referenced a per‑diem penalty figure of $50 per day and a possible maximum around $1,000) and the board's discretion to waive fines in appropriate cases.
Lorenz recommended calling hearings for candidates with outstanding or defective filings and said the board could use public posting to notify voters of delinquent filers. The board accepted that approach and assigned follow-up tasks to the clerk and members to prepare notices and to collect candidate paperwork in advance of the March 12 session.
View the Full Meeting & All Its Details
This article offers just a summary. Unlock complete video, transcripts, and insights as a Founder Member.
✓
Watch full, unedited meeting videos
✓
Search every word spoken in unlimited transcripts
✓
AI summaries & real-time alerts (all government levels)
✓
Permanent access to expanding government content
30-day money-back guarantee
