Republican Diego Morales comes into Election Day looking to extend his party’s control on Indiana’s top elections office after facing criticism for doubting the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election and twice being ousted from jobs in that office.
Morales, a former governor’s office aide to Mike Pence, shifted his stances on early and mail-in voting issues, faced allegations that he possibly committed voter fraud and avoided taking part in forums or debates with Democratic candidate Destiny Wells during the fall campaign for the secretary of state office.
Morales won the Republican nomination over current Secretary of State Holli Sullivan in the June party convention — even though he left low-level jobs in that office in 2009 and 2011 after being written up for poor work performance. In an earlier online column, he called 2020’s election a “scam”, while making unfounded claims. Donald Trump was the former PresidentHe and his allies have spoken out about other countries.
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Wells, a lawyer and Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, argued Morales was “sowing seeds of fear and doubt” about elections and that the secretary of state should focus on improving Indiana’s troubles with low voter turnout.
Interview with Diego Morales in Plainfield (Indiana) on April 3, 2018. Morales is currently running for secretary in Indiana.
(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
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Morales also called for tougher voter restrictions that included cutting Indiana’s 28-day early voting period in half and eliminating several reasons why people can request mail-in ballots, but later dropped those positions without explanation.
The Indiana secretary of state’s office oversees statewide policies for elections, which are run by elected county officials under laws enacted by the Republican-dominated Legislature.
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Republicans control the officeSince 1995, it has won double-digit percentages in six out of seven previous ballots.
