An image of Abraham Lincoln wearing sunglasses will be featured near the top of Indiana election ballots this fall. This distinctive emblem was submitted by the newly formed Lincoln Party and will appear in the section designated for voters who choose to cast straight-ticket ballots.
The Lincoln Party's only candidate on the ballot is Greg Ballard, running for secretary of state. The Lincoln image will be displayed alongside other established party emblems, such as the Republican eagle, the Democratic rooster, and the Libertarian Statue of Liberty.
Nathan Gotsch, who serves as the Lincoln Party chair and Ballard's campaign manager, did not elaborate on how the specific sunglasses-wearing Lincoln emblem was chosen. Gotsch shared with the Indiana Capital Chronicle his belief that emblems "don’t really mean anything to the voters," though he acknowledged that a mark is legally required.
Gotsch noted that the ballot emblem is an obscure aspect of Indiana's election law, one he only learned about when contacted by what he described as "friendly folks" assisting the Ballard campaign. The Lincoln Party formally submitted its request to be included in the straight-ticket section, essentially to be listed with other parties, on the day of the filing deadline.
State election law stipulated that parties had until August 21 to submit their chosen emblem to the Indiana Election Division. The division subsequently provided these emblems to county election officials, who are responsible for preparing the ballots. Counties are scheduled to begin sending mail ballots to voters who have submitted approved applications this week.
Former Republican mayor of Indianapolis, Greg Ballard, and Nathan Gotsch officially established the Lincoln Party in March. Their stated objective is to create a more accessible pathway for independent-minded candidates to appear on the election ballot. This initiative aims to alleviate the burden of having to gather nearly 40,000 voter signatures, which is typically required for a statewide race.
Ballard is seeking the office of secretary of state, a position that oversees statewide election policies. He is running against Republican Max Engling, Democrat Beau Bayh, and Libertarian Lauri Shillings. Despite the unusual appearance of the Lincoln Party's ballot emblem, Gotsch minimized any anticipated positive or negative impact on voters. He suggested that most voters would likely "just kind of glance through it" rather than making a decision based on the party symbol.
