Vogt files for recount in Senate District 15 race

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Former Allen County Council member Darren Vogt has filed an official recount and election contest in the Republican primary for Indiana Senate District 15. Vogt, backed by U.S. Sen. Jim Banks (R), is challenging Sen. Liz Brown in the Fort Wayne area. Brown has the endorsement of President Donald Trump. In a statement, Vogt said he wants to ensure every legal vote is counted accurately in a contest he describes as still too close to call. “When elections are this close, voters deserve to know their voices were heard. Nothing is perfect—at this point, any minor mistake or unintentional human error changes the outcome. I’m calling for this recount to ensure we can have confidence in our elections, especially when we had an election cycle that brought along with it so many questions that haven’t been answered.” Since the Allen County Election Board released the initial vote tally on May 7, the count has narrowed even tighter, to what Voigt called “basically a 7-7 football scrimmage, with the actual final result still being unknown at this point.” The deadline to request a recount in the May 5 primary was 12 p.m. on Tuesday. “When elections are this close, voters deserve to know their voices were heard,” Vogt said. “Nothing is perfect—at this point, any minor mistake or unintentional human error changes the outcome. I’m calling for this recount to ensure we can have confidence in our elections, especially when we had an election cycle that brought along with it so many questions that haven’t been answered.” Indiana law does not allow for automatic recounts. Under state law, candidates in close races can seek a recount and contest to have ballots reviewed and results rechecked under court or commission supervision. The process can include examining voting machine records and paper ballots to verify the final totals. Details on the final certified result in Senate District 15, and any scheduled hearings related to Vogt’s recount and contest filing, were not immediately available.