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Indiana GOP Convention Going Virtual, With Mail-In Voting

By Brandon Smith, IPB News | Published on in Government, Health, Politics
The Indiana Republican Party's 2020 state convention will be virtual, with mail-in voting. (Courtesy of the Indiana GOP)
The Indiana Republican Party's 2020 state convention will be virtual, with mail-in voting. (Courtesy of the Indiana GOP)

The Indiana Republican Party’s 2020 state convention will be virtual. The party officially announced the change Tuesday, in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines.

The state’s “Back On Track” plan will likely restrict gatherings to no more than 250 people by June 19, when the state GOP convention is scheduled. And since the event typically attracts more than 1,000 delegates, party chair Kyle Hupfer says it’s a no-go.

READ MORE: Governor Holcomb Outlines How – And Why – The State Will Reopen

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Instead, Indianapolis television station WISH-TV will broadcast and livestream the convention on June 18. It will feature addresses from Gov. Eric Holcomb and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch. It will also include speeches from each of the Republican candidates seeking the attorney general nomination.

Voting in that race will then take place by mail. Normally, candidates chosen at a convention square off in multiple rounds until one person earns a majority of votes cast. This year’s system will allow delegates to rank the candidates by order of preference to determine a winner.  Those ballots will be due by July 9.

The Indiana Democratic Party announced in April its convention on June 13 will be virtual, with votes by mail. It has not announced a final schedule or details on broadcasting yet.

Contact Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.