Larry L. Savage Jr., a former Republican candidate for Indiana’s 5th District U.S. House seat, has been charged with theft and mishandling of ballots following an alleged incident during a voting machine test in Madison County. Savage, a 51-year-old resident and local precinct committeeman from Anderson, was arrested on Tuesday and released on a $500 bond. The charges stem from an October 3 test at the Madison County Government Center, where officials found two ballots missing after the test.
During the public event, intended to ensure election machine accuracy, officials ran test ballots with real candidate names through the machines. Despite being marked as “test,” these ballots were officially tracked and included recorded votes. After the test, officials noticed one straight-Republican ballot and one write-in ballot were unaccounted for.
Security footage later revealed Savage folding the missing ballots and placing them in his sweatshirt pocket. Footage shows Savage confirming with an election official that the ballots were “absolutely, totally real,” then discreetly putting them in his pocket and showing them to a man outside the building. In a separate Facebook Live stream, Savage was seen discussing the missing ballots, making remarks such as “3 ballots short!!! lol” and “Dontvtake [sic] anything.”
After determining Savage’s involvement, authorities obtained a search warrant and went to his residence the same night. Savage reportedly admitted to taking the ballots before officers finished reading the warrant.
He defended his actions, claiming he thought the ballots were “samples” and comparing it to taking a free sample at a grocery store. Savage later told reporters, “At no time did I actually think that was a real ballot. I didn’t mean to hurt anybody… I’m just trying to fight for our county.” However, court documents reveal the ballots were clearly labeled as official, with warnings against tampering.
Following the arrest, Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings stated that Savage’s actions were an attempt to undermine the election process. “This is corruption at its core. This feeds into public concerns about election integrity. Our office needed to take action,” Cummings said.
Indiana State Police, who oversaw the voting machine test under their Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VSTOP), confirmed that the 136 ballots used in the test were treated as if they were actual ballots from Election Day. They noted that Savage had been informed of the validity of these ballots during the test.
This incident follows Savage’s campaign earlier this year, where he sought to represent the 5th District and described himself as a “common man” in interviews with FOX59/CBS4. During his campaign, he cited inflation, high gas prices, and border issues as key motivators for his run, emphasizing his personal struggles with the rising costs.
As of now, Savage faces two charges: destruction or misplacement of a ballot, a Level 6 felony, and theft, a Class A misdemeanor. Indiana State Police confirmed he turned himself in at the Madison County Jail Tuesday morning. His initial hearing in Madison Circuit Court has yet to be scheduled.
