The Indiana Recount Commission will not make a decision on the Republican primary win by state Sen. Spencer Deery for at least another month. Deery, a first-term senator from West Lafayette, won the primary by a narrow margin of three votes over his challenger, Fountain County Republican Chair Paula Copenhaver, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Voter Interrogations

Copenhaver’s lawyers have identified 14 people who disclosed on social media or to news reporters that they voted in the May 5 Republican Senate primary despite being Democrats or self-identified “progressives.” They are seeking to question these voters under oath to determine if they abided by state law requiring primary voters to attest that they intend to support a majority of that party’s candidates in the general election or voted for a majority of the party’s nominees in the last election.

Deery has denounced the request as an attempt to intimidate voters and throw out lawful votes in the race. Copenhaver’s lawyers have since filed motions to set aside their requests to question three of those voters as they don’t live in the district.

Recount Timeline

The recount director has set a timeline for the submission of legal arguments and responses. Lawyers for Copenhaver and Deery have until July 6 to submit their arguments. The three-member Recount Commission, led by Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales, will review the filings and make a decision.

The ballot review work by State Board of Accounts auditors is scheduled to start next week in the district that covers all or parts of six counties in the area between Lafayette and Terre Haute. The recount teams are scheduled to work in Tippecanoe County on June 16, Vermillion County on June 17, Parke County on June 18, Montgomery County on June 22, Warren County on June 23, and Fountain County on June 25-26.

Original reporting: 93.1 WIBC (Indianapolis) — read the source article.