MADISON CO. – The Indiana State Police have arrested Larry Savage, a precinct committeeman, following an incident during a public test of the ballot card voting system at the Madison County Government Center on October 3, 2024.
The Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP) is designed to test all the election equipment used in Indiana for an added layer of safety and security. The test requires manual entry of a pre-audit group of ballots marked to record a predetermined number of valid votes for each candidate and on each public question. After the testing process, the ballots used are treated as if they were used on election day. Before the ballot card voting system can be used in an election, the machines must be tested openly to representatives of political parties, candidates, media, and the public.
During the test involving four voting machines and 136 actual candidate ballots marked for testing, officials discovered that two ballots were missing after an initial tabulation. A subsequent investigation revealed videos of Savage folding and placing both ballots in his pocket after receiving instructions about the validity of the test ballots. A judge granted a search warrant that law enforcement executed at Savage’s residence, where officers found the missing ballots in his vehicle.
Today, around 9:30 a.m., Committeeman Larry Savage turned himself in at the Madison County Jail after an arrest warrant was issued. He faces charges of destroying or misplacing ballots, a Class 6 felony, and theft, a Class A misdemeanor.
The Indiana State Police will continue to investigate these matters to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
