Starke Election Board Finalizes North Judson Ballot, Votes Not to Hold Elections in Knox and Hamlet

Posted on September 6, 2019
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI

The Starke County Election Board has finalized the ballot for North Judson’s municipal election. Two town council members are facing challenges.

Incumbent Democrat Ward 1 Council Member Jane Ellen Felchuk is being challenged by Republican Randy Schwartz. Democrat Matthew Brewer is challenging incumbent Republican Wendy Hoppe for her Ward 2 seat. Ward 3 Council Member James Young and Clerk-Treasurer Andrew Rowe are running unopposed for their first full terms. Both took over those positions as mid-term replacements.

The election board spent several minutes last week looking over the ballot for any errors. The main issue had to do with whether or not candidates wanted their middle names or initials to appear, and making sure the ballot reflected their requests.

North Judson is the only Starke County municipality with contested races this year. Because of that, the election board passed a resolution officially canceling the 2019 Knox and Hamlet elections.

Clerk Bernadette Welter-Manuel said she’d gotten a formal request for the cancellation from the City of Knox but not the Town of Hamlet. But she said the election board doesn’t need paperwork from the municipalities to move ahead with foregoing an uncontested election.