Two Republican candidates removed from May Primary Ballot over voting requirements

Two Republican candidates seeking township advisory board seats have been removed from the May primary ballot after the Marshall County Election Board upheld challenges to their candidacies based on state voting requirements.

The board—consisting of County Clerk Jenny Bennitt, Republican proxy Jon VanVactor (representing member Steve Harper), and Democrat Susie Kreighbaum—ruled that candidates Nathan Brown and Jacob Mechling did not meet Indiana's candidate eligibility statute.

Indiana Code 3-8-2-7 requires that candidates must have voted in their party's primary elections in the two most recent primary cycles.

Marshall County Republican Chairman Deb VanDeMark filed challenges after reviewing the candidates' voting records. She found that Brown had not voted in any primary election, while Mechling voted only in the 2016 Republican primary.

Brown was seeking a seat on the Bourbon Township Advisory Board. After learning of the requirement, he asked the board about amending the process to allow the party to accept interested candidates through an alternative method, such as an interview process.

Mechling, who is currently serving on the Green Township Advisory Board after being caucused into the position in July 2023, was the only candidate who filed to fill one of the advisory board seats on the ballot.

VanVactor told the board that the voting records clearly showed neither candidate met the state statute and that the election board must follow the law.

However, he noted potential paths forward for both candidates. Mechling could vote in this May's primary and then be qualified to be slated onto the November ballot for the Green Township Advisory Board seat through a caucus process.

Brown would need to vote in the May 2026 and 2028 Republican primaries to become eligible as a candidate.

VanVactor suggested that changing the state statute would require contacting state legislators and action by the General Assembly.

Chairman VanDeMark emphasized that the challenges were not personal attacks on the candidates' character.

"I admired the men for stepping up to be part of the process," VanDeMark said, noting it was about "following the requirements set out for the parties to follow."

The Marshall County Election Board unanimously upheld the challenges, and both candidates will not appear on the May Republican primary ballot.