The dispute over Congressman Todd Young's petition signatures could lead to a change in Indiana's ballot access laws.
Since at least 1986, candidates for U.S. Senate, governor, or president have needed to collect at least 500 signatures in each of Indiana's nine congressional districts.
Senate President Pro Tem David Long (R-Fort Wayne) says the possibility of a leading candidate for U-S Senate being kicked off the ballot makes it a "reasonable assumption" that legislators will discuss whether that rule is outdated.
But Long says legislators won't make any retroactive changes -- it'll be up to the Indiana Election Commission to decide whether Young has enough signatures.
“The rules are the rules, but going forward, should we look at that? I think it’s a reasonable assumption that we will.”
House Minority Leader Scott Pelath (D-Michigan City) calls the signature requirement "very reasonable.”
“If there’s interest in changing the requirement, then it ought to be substituted with something that also ends up being a vetting process for frivolous, non-serious candidacies,” Pelath says.
Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) has made similar comments.
