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Democrats Question Motive For Secretary Of State's Voter Outreach Ads

Indiana Democratic Party Chair John Zody, right, questions how Secretary of State Connie Lawson is targeting election ads in a year she’s running for re-election against Democrat Jim Harper, left.
Brandon Smith/IPB News
Indiana Democratic Party Chair John Zody, right, questions how Secretary of State Connie Lawson is targeting election ads in a year she’s running for re-election against Democrat Jim Harper, left.

Indiana Democrats question Secretary of State Connie Lawson’s use of taxpayer dollars on election ads.

Lawson’s office has spent more than $1 million this year on voter outreach ads. The ads include messages on voter registration, polling locations and election security.

That money comes from the state budget, as passed by the General Assembly.

But Indiana Democratic Party Chair John Zody questions how Lawson is targeting those ads in a year she’s running for re-election.

“Hoosiers ought to know that their tax dollars are being funneled the right way toward use of the public good, not toward re-electing someone,” Zody says.

Lawson’s office says the ads are run statewide and the office added the election security component this year to “boost voter confidence.”

Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state.
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