Election Board Says Lugar Ineligible To Vote

(Indianapolis, Ind.) – Indiana senior U.S. Senator has been found to be ineligible to vote in what he has considered his home precinct for decades. 

The Marion County Election Board voted 2-1 to find Senator Dick Lugar and his wife are ineligible to vote, upsetting the board's vice chairman and lone Republican, Patrick Dietrick.  

“In this case I think this board utterly failed to consider the circumstances,” Dietrick said.

Lugar sold his home in Indianapolis in 1977 and moved to Virginia after being elected to the Senate, but had continued to use the address for his voter registration. 

The senator is planning to appeal the decision, with his office calling it a political move that's based on the wrong analysis of the law.  

Republican Greg Wright filed the complaint with the Marion County Election Board.

“I thought it was the right thing to do to establish the fact to determine if Senator Lugar was lawfully registered to vote in the right precinct,” said Wright.

Lugar’s re-election campaign issued a statement regarding the ruling Thursday.

"Since Senator Lugar took office, he and Mrs. Lugar have scrupulously complied with Indiana law, which preserves the residency of Hoosiers serving their state and country outside of Indiana. The Lugars have also sought and followed the express direction of every legitimate government authority to have addressed the question," Lugar spokesman Andy Fisher said.

Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock is challenging Lugar in the Republican primary this year. 

Mourdock has been arguing Lugar is not eligible to even represent Indiana in Congress, let alone vote in Indianapolis due to his residency in Virginia.  

LINKS:

Mourdock: Senator Lugar Not Ind. Resident