Larry Lee Savage Jr., a former Republican 5th Congressional District candidate, turned himself in to authorities after being charged with stealing ballots during a public test of voting machines in Madison County. Before voting machines are used in Indiana elections, they undergo a public test with representatives from political parties, candidates, media, and the public. During the test, election officials manually calculate results from pre-marked ballots, and attendees run them through the voting machines to ensure accurate counting.
During the test in Madison County, two ballots went missing, and surveillance footage showed Savage taking them. He then whispered “f—– up count” to another attendee. The missing ballots were found in Savage’s car, one Republican and one blank. Savage initially claimed he thought the ballots weren’t real, but text messages with another attendee suggested otherwise.
Savage faces charges of destroying or misplacing a ballot and theft. He ran in the Republican primary against Rep. Victoria Spartz, winning just under 2% of the vote. A representative for the voting machines’ manufacturer called the theft sabotage. The state GOP condemned Savage and expressed support for law enforcement. An initial court appearance has not yet been scheduled, and Savage does not have a defense attorney listed.
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