Larry L. Savage Jr., a former Republican House candidate in Indiana, was recently arrested and charged with ballot theft after being caught on surveillance video stealing two ballots during a voting machine testing event in Madison County. This event, held on October 3, was public and allowed attendees to run “test” ballots through voting machines for validation.
During this testing, Savage was seen pocketing two ballots, which, while not official, were treated as real and accounted for by the state. Surveillance footage revealed that Savage folded the ballots into his pocket, confirming with officials that they were “absolutely, totally real ballots” and later claimed to others they represented a flawed vote count.
Following his actions, Savage approached a woman who was livestreaming the event and told her there was an issue with the ballot count. After leaving the testing facility, he showed the ballots in his pocket to a man outside, who then patted him on the back. This led the woman to report to election officials that she believed ballots were missing, raising immediate concern.
Savage later joined the livestream from his account, “Cardkiller57,” and commented that the facility was “3 ballots short.” His online statements further suggested an intention to cast doubt on the vote-counting process, including his comment, “Dontvtake [sic] anything.”
In the past, Savage has publicly promoted himself as a supporter of election integrity, a stance that he reinforced through various online forums. When initially questioned by the police, he admitted to taking the ballots but claimed he had received permission from someone at the testing site, though he could not name the individual.
Former Indiana GOP Candidate Charged with Ballot Theft Amid Election Integrity Controversy
However, police evidence contradicted this, and Savage ultimately admitted to lying about receiving permission. He later tried to justify his actions by saying he thought the ballots were “fake,” comparing them to “samples” people might pick up at stores, misunderstanding the protocol surrounding election testing materials.
Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings condemned Savage’s actions, describing them as a direct attempt to undermine public trust in the election system. Cummings stated that incidents like this fuel voter concerns regarding election integrity and viewed Savage’s conduct as an act of corruption against the democratic process.
His office took action to address this to uphold the integrity of local elections, especially in a time where public trust in the electoral process is fragile.
Savage’s actions also come amid ongoing national discussions about election security, partly fueled by former President Donald Trump and his supporters continued claims of election fraud. Since his loss in 2020, Trump has consistently suggested without evidence that elections are being “rigged” against him, a narrative he has already begun to promote as he campaigns for the 2024 race.
Recently, Trump warned that he would ensure repercussions for those who support his political opponents, a statement reflecting his persistent stance on election integrity despite admitting, briefly, that he had indeed lost the 2020 election.
