Indiana’s Secretary Race: Engling vs Ballard Offer Different Fixes

Two people are running for Indiana's secretary of state. Republican Max Engling and independent Greg Ballard faced off on a recent politics show. Both say the office needs a fresh start after years of controversy. They each have different ideas about how to fix the problems.

Engling says he will work with the state's independent inspector general. He promises to give the IG all the paperwork it asks for instead of telling it what to do. He wants driver license colors to show if a person is a legal resident or a voter. He also wants longer early voting hours for people who work. Cleaning up the voter list and teaming up with veteran groups and community foundations could help more people vote.

Ballard takes a tougher stance. He wants police to launch a criminal probe into the former secretary's time in office. He says the public only sees part of the problem, like an iceberg. He promises to take politics out of the secretary role, refusing to back any party or raise money for campaigns. He plans to give voters a simple guide for each precinct, available on paper and on a phone app. He also wants to replace partisan election commission members with judges who handle law. He wants to keep the current 30‑day early voting window.

Both candidates admit the state's business licensing website is a headache. Engling, who filed his own LLC, says the process was easy but could be smoother. He wants to stop fake trucking companies that dissolve and refile to dodge liability after accidents. Ballard promises a website that needs only a few clicks to register a business. He wants lower filing fees, a longer re‑registration period, and links to groups like SCORE and the Small Business Administration. The race also includes Democrat Beau Bayh and Libertarian Lauri Shillings. An analyst notes that Indiana has been a red state for 15 years, so Engling may have an edge. The show airs Sunday mornings at 9:30 on WISH‑TV.