Indiana
'Blow the whistle': Indiana's top election official spends $35k on security guide mailings • Indiana Capital Chronicle
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Hundreds of election administrators, lawmakers, law enforcement officers and others across Indiana — and beyond— slit open heavy white cardboard boxes this spring to uncover glossy election security guides from the state’s top election official, Secretary of State (SOS) Diego Morales.
“Blow the whistle on election interference,” the thick, spiral-bound books read. They’re accompanied by whistles strung on lanyards.
The 180-page document, per SOS spokeswoman Lindsey Eaton, is “a new addition to the library of election guides produced and distributed by the state for election administrators.”
Assembling and shipping 600 guides cost a whopping $35,070. That’s $58.45 each.
Each booklet cost about $45 to print, and each lanyard with whistle and card was about $1.45, according to Eaton. Packing and shipping cost approximately $12 per guide. SOS paid for the initiative with a 2023 State Homeland Security Grant.
“Secretary Morales firmly believes there’s no price tag when it comes to the safety of our election workers,” Eaton said in written responses to a Capital Chronicle inquiry. She highlighted Morales’ three months of visits to all of the state’s 92 counties and said he’d heard “safety concerns” from the election officials he met on the way.
Poll threats and harassment
Ahead of the 2022 midterm election, rural and urban election officials alike told the Capital Chronicle they’d heard negative comments but not threats and harassment.
But abuse appears to be on the rise.
In a national survey of more than 900 election officials released this month, 38% of the officials reported having experienced abuse, harassment or threats because of their election work. That was up from 30% in 2023, according to the left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice, which conducts the surveys.
Of the 16% who specifically said they’d been threatened — defined as expressions communicating an intention to harm or injure that imply imminent risk to a person’s well-being and safety — more than half said the threats were made in person. They also came in over the phone, email, social media, snail mail and more, according to the survey.
Seven in 10 respondents said they felt threats against election officials have increased since 2020, the same share as in 2023.
Indiana office-holders are paying attention.
State lawmakers approved legislation in March making it a Level 6 felony to threaten an election worker as well as to obstruct, interfere with, or injure an election worker. As for SOS?
“Leading up to the November General Election, (Morales) continues to place a major emphasis on keeping poll workers and election administrators safe,” Eaton wrote. “The election security guides and materials were designed to encourage threat awareness and informed election security and safety collaboration and response between election administrators and allied resources including state and federal emergency response agencies, local law enforcement, and local emergency response agencies.”
That’s why local law enforcement agencies, county emergency management offices, state and federal emergency management offices, were among the recipients.
In addition to county clerks and election administration offices, the office also sent guides to state lawmakers, Indiana’s congressional delegation, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, members of the National Association of Secretary of States Election Committee and the Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP) at Ball State University. VSTOP tests all the election equipment used in Indiana.
What’s inside
The guide is a “compilation of materials from authoritative sources,” including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, four state agencies, a county election board and the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections. Law enforcement and election officials created the latter in 2022 to address violence against election workers and voters.
Just below its list of sources and acknowledgements, however, the guide warns readers the information inside may not be correct.
“This publication is a collection of materials from cited sources. It is presented for education and illustrative purposes and is not intended to be relied on as a legal resource, definitive guidance or administrative directive,” it says. “The State of Indiana does not warrant, and assumes no liability that the information contained herein is complete, up to date, correct, or applicable in any particular situation or circumstance.”
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“Election administrators, election workers, and persons responsible for safe, secure, and reliable elections are advised to consult with their own legal, security, and public safety advisers about specific situations and actions,” it continues.
The document, which has 18 sections, takes on polling place security plans, election infrastructure security, election worker attacks, suspicious election mail, doxing, swatting, artificial intelligence, photo identification and more.
“The focus of the program is on election worker and voter safety, election security, and state election administration as a component of ‘National Critical Infrastructure,’” Eaton said. “The guide and materials are part of the Secretary of State’s multi-dimensional 2024 program for election safety and security which also includes production of audio-visual training materials, regional training and collaboration seminars, and production and hosting of web accessible election security information.”
It’s not public, however. Eaton said it “has not yet” been published online. High printing costs mean there aren’t physical copies available for everyday residents “at this time,” she added.
SOS photocopied the first four pages of the guide, embedded below, in response to the Capital Chronicle’s inquiry.
2024 Blow the Whistle on Election Interference introduction 5-8-24
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Indiana
Will Indiana beat Ohio State? Can Oregon State upset Washington State? Our Week 13 CFB picks
As the college football regular season winds down, the intrigue in some of the Week 13 matchups turns way up.
- WATCH: Stream most of this week’s top college football games live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or with DirecTV Stream (free trial).
In the Big Ten, undefeated Indiana tries to keep rolling toward a berth in the Big Ten championship game when the fifth-ranked Hoosiers visit No. 2 Ohio State. The one-loss Buckeyes are 11-point favorites.
Meanwhile, No. 4 Penn State, which also remains alive in the chase to face top-ranked Oregon in the conference title game, faces a potentially tough road game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Nittany Lions are favored by 11.5 points.
In the Pac-12, Oregon State will look to end its losing streak when the Beavers play host to Washington State. The Beavers have lost five in a row and are 11.5-point underdogs, but can they put a complete game together against the Cougars?
Check out this week’s college football odds and score predictions for all the Big Ten and Pac-12 games from the CFB coverage team at The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Purdue (1-9, 0-7) at Michigan State (4-6, 2-5)
Game details: 5 p.m. PT Friday at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan
TV channel and live stream: Fox and Fox Sports Live
Latest line: Michigan State by 13.5
Over/under: 47.5
Predictions
Ryan Clarke: Michigan State 31, Purdue 17
James Crepea: Michigan State 28, Purdue 14
Nick Daschel: Michigan State 31, Purdue 27
Aaron Fentress: Michigan State 31, Purdue 20
Joe Freeman: Michigan State 30, Purdue 15
Sean Meagher: Michigan State 34, Purdue 17
Joel Odom: Michigan State 31, Purdue 10
Bill Oram: Michigan State 28, Purdue 13
Washington State (8-2) at Oregon State (4-6)
Game details: 4 p.m. PT Saturday at Reser Stadium in Corvallis
TV channel and live stream: The CW
Latest line: Washington State by 11.5
Over/under: 57.5
Predictions
Ryan Clarke: Washington State 30, Oregon State 7
James Crepea: Washington State 35, Oregon State 14
Nick Daschel: Washington State 38, Oregon State 17
Aaron Fentress: Washington State 27, Oregon State 17
Joe Freeman: Washington State 32, Oregon State 17
Sean Meagher: Washington State 42, Oregon State 21
Joel Odom: Washington State 38, Oregon State 14
Bill Oram: Washington State 38, Oregon State 23
No. 5 Indiana (10-0, 7-0) at No. 2 Ohio State (9-1, 6-1)
Game details: 9 a.m. PT Saturday at Ohio Stadium in Columbus
TV channel and live stream: Fox and Fox Sports Live
Latest line: Ohio State by 11
Over/under: 52.5
Predictions
Ryan Clarke: Ohio State 37, Indiana 34
James Crepea: Ohio State 42, Indiana 35
Nick Daschel: Ohio State 31, Indiana 29
Aaron Fentress: Ohio State 38, Indiana 25
Joe Freeman: Ohio State 28, Indiana 27
Sean Meagher: Indiana 38, Ohio State 35
Joel Odom: Ohio State 31, Indiana 21
Bill Oram: Ohio State 26, Indiana 24
No. 25 Illinois (7-3, 4-3) at Rutgers (6-4, 3-4)
Game details: 9 a.m. PT Saturday at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey
TV channel and live stream: Peacock
Latest line: Rutgers by 1
Over/under: 47.5
Predictions
Ryan Clarke: Illinois 22, Rutgers 14
James Crepea: Illinois 28, Rutgers 14
Nick Daschel: Illinois 24, Rutgers 20
Aaron Fentress: Illinois 23, Rutgers 20
Joe Freeman: Rutgers 24, Illinois 23
Sean Meagher: Illinois 28, Rutgers 24
Joel Odom: Illinois 27, Rutgers 17
Bill Oram: Illinois 28, Rutgers 14
Iowa (6-4, 4-3) at Maryland (4-6, 1-6)
Game details: 9 a.m. PT Saturday at SECU Stadium in College Park, Maryland
TV channel and live stream: Big Ten Network and Fox Sports Live
Latest line: Iowa by 3.5
Over/under: 43.5
Predictions
Ryan Clarke: Iowa 28, Maryland 20
James Crepea: Iowa 28, Maryland 21
Nick Daschel: Iowa 20, Maryland 14
Aaron Fentress: Iowa 33, Maryland 18
Joe Freeman: Iowa 27, Maryland 20
Sean Meagher: Iowa 21, Maryland 17
Joel Odom: Iowa 34, Maryland 13
Bill Oram: Maryland 35, Iowa 21
No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1) at Minnesota (6-4, 4-3)
Game details: 12:30 p.m. PT Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis
TV channel and live stream: CBS and cbssports.com
Latest line: Penn State by 11.5
Over/under: 44.5
Predictions
Ryan Clarke: Minnesota 27, Penn State 24
James Crepea: Penn State 35, Minnesota 21
Nick Daschel: Penn State 24, Minnesota 23
Aaron Fentress: Penn State 31, Minnesota 17
Joe Freeman: Penn State 31, Minnesota 21
Sean Meagher: Penn State 30, Minnesota 24
Joel Odom: Penn State 28, Minnesota 16
Bill Oram: Minnesota 28, Penn State 18
Wisconsin (5-5, 3-4) at Nebraska (5-5, 2-5)
Game details: 12:30 p.m. PT Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska
TV channel and live stream: Big Ten Network and Fox Sports Live
Latest line: Nebraska by 1
Over/under: 41.5
Predictions
Ryan Clarke: Nebraska 24, Wisconsin 7
James Crepea: Nebraska 24, Wisconsin 17
Nick Daschel: Nebraska 20, Wisconsin 14
Aaron Fentress: Wisconsin 24, Nebraska 23
Joe Freeman: Wisconsin 23, Nebraska 20
Sean Meagher: Wisconsin 28, Nebraska 27
Joel Odom: Wisconsin 20, Nebraska 17
Bill Oram: Nebraska 21, Wisconsin 14
Northwestern (4-6, 2-5) at Michigan (5-5, 3-4)
Game details: 12:30 p.m. PT Saturday at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor
TV channel and live stream: FS1 and Fox Sports Live
Latest line: Michigan by 10.5
Over/under: 36.5
Predictions
Ryan Clarke: Michigan 31, Northwestern 10
James Crepea: Michigan 17, Northwestern 10
Nick Daschel: Northwestern 21, Michigan 20
Aaron Fentress: Michigan 29, Northwestern 10
Joe Freeman: Michigan 24, Northwestern 10
Sean Meagher: Michigan 21, Northwestern 14
Joel Odom: Michigan 16, Northwestern 13
Bill Oram: Michigan 33, Northwestern 17
USC (5-5, 3-5) at UCLA (4-6, 3-5)
Game details: 7:30 p.m. PT Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California
TV channel and live stream: NBC and Peacock
Latest line: USC by 5
Over/under: 51.5
Predictions
Ryan Clarke: UCLA 38, USC 31
James Crepea: USC 35, UCLA 28
Nick Daschel: UCLA 28, USC 27
Aaron Fentress: USC 31, UCLA 26
Joe Freeman: USC 30, UCLA 24
Sean Meagher: UCLA 33, USC 28
Joel Odom: USC 36, UCLA 30
Bill Oram: UCLA 49, USC 47
On paper, Ohio State has a clear talent advantage over Indiana. But that doesn’t mean the Hoosiers aren’t capable of beating the Buckeyes.
Indiana has performed well above its on-paper talent level all season, winning all of its first 10 games for the first 10-win season in school history. Yes, it’s true that Indiana hasn’t yet beaten a ranked opponent this season, but the Hoosiers have the third-highest average scoring margin in all of college football (25.2 points per game), rank second nationally in points scored per game (43.9) and third nationally in yards allowed per game (255.5).
That means Ohio State must be prepared for one of its biggest tests of the season in all phases of the game as it welcomes the fifth-ranked Hoosiers to Ohio Stadium for its third top-five matchup of the season on Saturday.
In particular, the following five positional matchups bear watching on Saturday. Which team wins the majority of these matchups will go a long way toward determining whether Indiana upsets the second-ranked Buckeyes or Ohio State hands the Hoosiers their first loss.
Ohio State Interior OL vs. Indiana DTs and LBs
Ohio State’s interior offensive line will be the position group under the microscope more than any other when Saturday’s game begins as the Buckeyes play their first game without star center Seth McLaughlin. Carson Hinzman will make his first start of the season at center with Austin Siereveld making his first start since non-conference play as he replaces Hinzman at left guard.
That makes all three positions along Ohio State’s interior offensive line a question mark entering this game as Tegra Tshabola has had plenty of ups and downs in his first season as the Buckeyes’ right guard. All of them have played enough that there’s reason for optimism they won’t be a complete liability, but the lack of the stabilizing veteran presence that McLaughlin provided is a cause for concern.
A bigger test for them specifically might come next week when they faced Michigan’s elite defensive tackle tandem of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, but the Hoosiers’ interior defenders are plenty capable of challenging them, too. Kent State transfer defensive tackle CJ West has been one of the Big Ten’s best interior defensive linemen this season, recording 30 tackles with five tackles for loss and two sacks through 10 games, and he pairs with fellow starter James Carpenter and James Madison transfer Tyrique Tucker to give the Hoosiers a strong defensive tackle trio that’s combined for 61 quarterback pressures this season, per Pro Football Focus.
One of McLaughlin’s greatest strengths was his ability to get to the second level and make key blocks to spring Ohio State’s running backs up the middle, and Indiana has a quality linebacker group that will test the Buckeyes’ new-look middle of the offensive line in that regard, as well. Aiden Fisher is tied for second among all Big Ten defenders with 98 tackles this season while fellow starting linebacker Jailin Walker has also been productive, recording 59 tackles with four tackles for loss and six pass breakups.
Ohio State OTs vs. Indiana DE Mikail Kamara
Even without McLaughlin’s injury, Ohio State’s offensive line would have been one of the bigger question-mark positions entering this game because of the Hoosiers’ ability to bring pressure up front, especially off the edge.
Indiana leads the Big Ten with 31 sacks this season, and the biggest contributor to that total has been Mikail Kamara, who leads the conference with 9.5 quarterback takedowns. The 6-foot-1, 265-pound James Madison transfer leads the entire FBS with 53 quarterback pressures this season.
Donovan Jackson gave up two sacks to Penn State’s Abdul Carter in his first game at left tackle, and Kamara will be by far the best pass rusher he’s faced since. Right tackle Josh Fryar has been better in pass protection this year than he was last year, but pass blocking is still the weaker part of his game, so the Hoosiers will likely move Kamara around to test both tackles.
“He’s a very talented player,” Jackson said of Kamara. “He knows how to use his abilities well in terms of using hands, being able to turn the corner, which is the reason why his numbers are so good as it is now. So I know that as a unit, we all got our work cut out for us. This is a very talented team, very talented defensive front, and they’re all dialed into what they have to do. They rarely get out of gaps. So we just have to be dialed in on what we have to do to execute the game plan and do what we can to the best of our abilities.”
Ohio State CBs vs. Indiana WRs and Kurtis Rourke
On the other side of the ball, the key to the game for Ohio State could be whether Ohio State’s cornerbacks can keep Indiana’s wide receivers in check. Indiana’s passing offense has been one of the nation’s most effective this season, ranking third in the FBS with 9.9 yards per passing attempt, and the Hoosiers’ wideouts will be the best Ohio State has faced since Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson lit the Buckeyes up in a 341-yard passing day for Oregon.
None of Indiana’s individual receivers are quite as dynamic as Stewart, who had seven catches for 149 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State, but Elijah Sarratt has been one of the Big Ten’s most productive wideouts with 38 catches for 685 yards and six touchdowns. And the Buckeyes can’t key in on just slowing down Sarratt as the Hoosiers have five wide receivers who have all caught at least 24 passes for 289 yards this season.
Denzel Burke has a lot to prove this week after his nightmare of a game in Eugene while Davison Igbinosun has continued to struggle with penalties in his second year with the Buckeyes. They’re both projected to be higher NFL draft picks than any of Indiana’s wide receivers, so they should be capable of winning their matchups along with Jordan Hancock in the slot, but their inconsistency this season makes this matchup one to watch as Kurtis Rourke’s play all season has demonstrated he won’t be afraid to attack any weak spots he can find in the Buckeyes’ defense.
“He’s extremely efficient,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said of Rourke. “Calm in the pocket and very efficient. Makes all the throws, gets rid of the ball quickly. In that type of offense, he’s very smart and figures out where the holes of the defense are and takes advantage.”
Ohio State WRs vs. Indiana DBs
While Ohio State’s cornerbacks will be put to the test by Indiana’s receivers, the Buckeyes’ biggest advantage over the Hoosiers may be the matchup between their wideouts and Indiana’s secondary.
Indiana’s passing defense has been good this season, ranking 21st in the FBS with only 183.3 passing yards allowed per game, but the Hoosiers haven’t faced any group of weapons like Ohio State’s trio of Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate. Maryland, the best passing offense Indiana has faced so far this season, threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-28 loss to the Hoosiers.
James Madison transfer D’Angelo Ponds has been excellent as Indiana’s top cornerback this season, holding opponents to only 25 catches for 196 yards and one touchdown on 45 targets (per PFF) with two interceptions and six pass breakups, but he’ll give up significant size to OSU’s receivers at only 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds. That said, he does have the advantage of familiarity with Smith as he was Smith’s high school teammate at Chaminade-Madonna.
D’Angelo Ponds (5) will likely spend most of Saturday’s game covering his former high school teammate, Jeremiah Smith. (Photo: Jacob Musselman – Imagn Images)
Indiana’s run defense has been dominant this season, holding opponents to only 72.2 rushing yards per game, so Ohio State is going to need to be able to make plays in the downfield passing game to open up running lanes. There’s reason to believe the Buckeyes should be well-equipped to do so with their receiving talent, though the ability of Ohio State’s aforementioned offensive line to hold up in pass protection as well as Will Howard’s consistency throwing deep will be factors in whether the Buckeyes can exploit their talent advantage on the perimeter.
Indiana OTs vs. Ohio State DEs
If Ohio State could pick one player from Indiana’s roster to add to its roster right now, it would probably pick Indiana left tackle Carter Smith – who the Buckeyes very likely could have gotten as a recruit if they had offered him out of nearby Olentangy Liberty High School. Instead, the three-star prospect has developed into one of the Big Ten’s best offensive tackles in Bloomington, teaming with Wisconsin transfer right tackle Trey Wedig to give the Hoosiers an excellent tandem on the edge.
For Ohio State to slow down Indiana’s passing attack, it won’t just be about the aforementioned cornerback winning their one-on-one matchups; the Buckeyes also need their pass rush to be much better than it was against Oregon, where Ohio State recorded zero sacks. Ohio State’s pass rush has been better since then, but it’s typically been big games where the Buckeyes have struggled to generate pressure in recent years, and Smith and Wedig will be the best offensive tackle tandem they’ve faced since the trip to Eugene.
Jack Sawyer enters this game on a wave of momentum, having recorded 12 tackles with nine quarterback pressures, a forced fumble and a fumble return for a touchdown in Ohio State’s last two games, while JT Tuimoloau has six tackles for loss in the Buckeyes’ last five games. It would go a long way for Ohio State’s efforts to slow down the Hoosiers’ offense if they can continue to wreak havoc off the edge; if they have a quiet game like they did against the Ducks, Ohio State will be at risk of suffering another loss.
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