Senate recount hinges on Indiana's not-quite-open primary election law

Indexed: 2026-05-20

[00:00:05]Well, this morning two Indiana State Senate primaries are headed to recount.

[00:00:10]>> That includes District 23 where that margin for victory is so slim it is just three votes. Merina Silva is at the State House this morning breaking down really an obscure law that could change the outcome of this race. Good morning.

[00:00:24]Good morning. Well, it's a 100-page petition for recount filed by candidate Paula Kopenhaver. Now, our legal team believes that some voters voted illegally in the Indiana State Senate Republican primary in this last general this last primary election that we just saw. Now, the question at hand, who gets to vote for which party in the primaries? Paula Kopenhaver says some voters publicly admitted that even though they voted in the Republican primary, they plan to support Democrats in November. Now, that's where the state law comes in. You're only supposed to vote in a Republican primary if you voted mostly Republican in the last general election or you're intending to vote mostly Republican in the next general election. Now, keep in mind Indiana does not keep track how you vote nor does it require you to declare a party. So, here's where the issue comes in. Kopenhaver claims people admitted on social media and in news interviews that they normally vote Democrat and plan to do so in November and they only voted Republican this time to influence the outcome of the race. Now, she's arguing that if those votes are legal and these are illegal and these court documents list all those names plus some of those screenshots So, we were actually able to speak to three of the voters that are named in here. So, coming up at 6:30 I'll share a little bit about what they had to say. But for now, reporting live at the State House, Merina Silva, 13 News.