In the state of Indiana, a candidate who files their campaign finance paperwork three weeks late could owe a fine of up to $1,000.

But it’s almost never the case that late filers in Monroe County have to pay a fine at all.

That’s because Indiana’s state election law allows a county election board to waive or reduce the fine that a candidate has to pay.

And that’s the approach that Monroe County’s election board has taken in the past. The board has imposed a fine only on the third offense, and even then, not the full amount.

For this year’s Nov. 8 election the deadline to file the CFA-4 was by noon on Oct. 21.

Eleven candidates in Monroe County missed the deadline—and of those, five still have not submitted the form, according to Monroe County election officials.

Even if the late filings this time around will be handled with the same “generous” approach as before, that could change for 2023, when the municipal elections are scheduled.

The topic got some discussion at the Monroe County election board’s regular meeting on Thursday.

As election board member Donovan Garletts put it: “Perhaps for January’s meeting, we need to talk about our generosity and reevaluate that.” Continue reading “Deadlines for campaign finance reports in 2023 could get stricter enforcement in Monroe County” →