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Lindsey Cornett is asking the Marion Superior Court to put her back on the ballot for the Indianapolis Public Schools board of commissioners after she was removed for not meeting criteria to list her party affiliation. She’s also filed as a write-in candidate.
The Marion County Election Board voted to uphold a candidacy challenge against Cornett and remove her from the ballot on Aug. 10 because she wrote on her candidate forms that she’d voted in two Indiana Democratic primary elections when her voter records showed that wasn’t the case. Voting in primaries is one of two ways school board candidates can include a party affiliation on the ballot, something that’s new, but not required, this election.
The election board decided to remove Cornett from the ballot instead of only removing her party affiliation based on guidance from the Indiana Election Division and the bill author’s interpretation of state law. However, Cornett argues the law is being applied incorrectly.
Cornett was one of two candidates for IPS school board District 4, representing the southwestern part of the school district. Typically, the District 4 race wouldn’t be on the ballot until 2028, but former school board member Allissa Impink resigned earlier this year after winning the Democratic primary for State Senate District 46, prompting her IPS school board seat to be on the 2026 ballot. The winner will serve the remainder of Impink’s term.
Chris Bultman, who is currently the only District 4 candidate on the ballot, was appointed by the IPS school board to fill Impink’s seat between her resignation and the election. His party affiliation was also challenged, but the election board rejected it and kept him on the ballot as a Democrat.
Cornett’s petition for judicial review asks the court to examine the election board’s decision to both challenges. She argues that neither candidate should have been removed from the ballot, yet both didn’t meet the standards for including their party affiliations. The review asks for the court to agree, putting Cornett back on the ballot.
“I’m very hopeful about the judicial review process,” Cornett said, adding she’s determined to stay in the race to give voters choices.
Bultman said he trusts the election board’s decision, and his “focus now is representing Dist. 4 to my best ability.”
A ruling is expected no later than Sept. 11, according to court documents. And timing is tight: the first ballots are printed in mid-September. Cornett also filed as a write-in candidate and said she did so to “cover her bases.”
Write-in candidates are not listed on the ballot, and only those who filed will have their votes counted and certified, per the election board.
No other Marion County school boards have candidate challenges or write-in candidates. The deadline for both was noon today.
MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.
