The Brown County Voter
October 2026
The League of Women Voters of Brown County is a nonpartisan civic organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The League works to increase understanding of major public policy issues through education and advocacy. Membership is open to all regardless of gender.
We never support or oppose any political party or candidate.
Educate • Advocate • Empower • Reform
| Brown County Clerk, Pearletta Banks, Leads Poll Worker Training at Sprunica Elementary, 10/20/26 | LWV of Indiana Opposes Ballot Question #1
The League of Women Voters of Indiana opposes Public Question #1 on the November 3, 2026, ballot based on the League’s long-standing position on Pretrial Release. Voters are being asked to amend the Constitution of the State of Indiana, Article I, Section 17 relating to Bail. Article I is the Indiana Bill of Rights. Amending it to reduce citizens’ rights should not be taken lightly. Liberties given away now are not easily reclaimed in the future.
As written, the proposed amendment could be broadly applied, posing a serious challenge to our bedrock legal tradition of “innocent until proven guilty,” embedded in our U.S. Constitutional framework for due process (5th and 14th amendments). The amendment would:
• Expand government’s power to deny freedom before conviction;
• Allow judges to deny bail in more cases; thereby keeping someone behind bars while their case moves through court, causing weeks or months in jail for someone who is still presumed innocent;
• Disrupt families, putting their livelihood, housing, healthcare, education, relationships at risk;
• Hinder the ability to build a legal defense;
• Increase costs to taxpayers since individuals are housed in local jails, often leading to overcrowding.
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Candidate Forum and Debate Recordings
Vote Smart
Enter your address in Vote411.org to see what’s on your ballot and what candidates have to say.
Voting in Indiana can be quite a challenge. It is sometimes difficult to know where to start to obtain all the information necessary to cast a well-informed vote, including:
• Am I registered?
• If not, how do I register?
• Where is my polling place?
• What offices are up for election?
• Who are the candidates and what do they stand for?
• Are there other issues on the ballot? If these are questions you have wrestled with, go to vote411.org, enter your address and get answers to all these questions! Candidates are contacted to answer questions related to the office they seek. The answers are printed in their own words. Candidates choose whether or not to respond.
So, be informed and VOTE ON NOVEMBER 3RD AT THE VOTE CENTER MOST CONVENIENT TO YOU!!
| | Know Your Rights
• If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one.
• If voting machines are down at your polling place, ask for a paper ballot.
• If the polls close while you are still in line, stay in line. You have the right to vote!
• Call the Election Protection Hotline if you have questions about your rights or trouble voting:
866-OUR-VOTE (English) 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Spanish)
Indiana law includes broad prohibitions against election violence, intimidation, and fraud.
Federal law prohibits threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.
| | | | How Secure are the Election Results?
Sunday, November 1, 2:00 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington
Dr. Marjorie Hershey, nationally recognized for her research on US political parties, elections, and the media’s role in politics, will examine potential threats to the integrity of the 2026 election results and the processes used to detect and address them.
| | | Get Involved with the League
The League of Women Voters of Brown County is always seeking volunteers and participants to serve on our board and contribute to our various committees. Whether you have a little time or are ready to take on a leadership role, there is a place for you to get involved. To learn more, contact League President Sunny Leerkamp at 317-509-9555 or via s.leerkamp@gmail.com.
| | | Upcoming Government Meetings
Source Links: County and Town
Did you know? You can sign up to receive meeting agendas, alerts government job postings and more here. The County Government calendar can be accessed here.
| | Brown County Election Board
Nov 20, 2:00pm - Provisional Ballot Meeting
Brown County Commissioners (all meetings in the Salmon Room)
Nov 4, 2:00pm
Nov 18, 6:00pm
| | Brown County Council (all meetings in the Salmon Room)
Nov 5, 9:00am
Nov 16, 5:30pm
Town of Nashville Council (all meetings at Town Hall)
Nov 19, 6:30pm
Dec 17, 6:30pm | | | Here’s How to Contact Your State, Federal, Local Legislators
A list is provided below of the legislators who serve Brown County. For contact information on other state representatives and state senators, go to https://iga.in.gov/information/find-legislators. For information about your Congressional Representative, go to https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative.
For information on your County Representatives and meetings for Boards, County Commissioners and County Council:
| | Brown County Circuit Court Clerk
Pearletta Banks
Phone: 812-988-5510
Brown County Council
Gary Huett
Scott Rudd
Patrick Nielander
Darren Byrd
Jim Kemp
Joel Kirby
Judy Swift-Powdrill
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