STATEHOUSE (July 23, 2025) – State Rep. Ben Smaltz (R-Auburn) recently received an appointment to serve as a member of the Interim Study Committee on Elections and as a member of the Compliance Advisory Panel.
"Historical data shows municipal elections have a high cost per vote and exceptionally low turnout," Smaltz said. "This is a disservice to our communities and to the voters who pay for these elections."
Interim committees meet throughout the summer and fall to explore and review policy issues and work together to identify solutions. Legislators will hear testimony from the public, experts and stakeholders as they work on bill recommendations ahead of the next legislative session which begins in January.
"It's time to take a closer look at how expensive and inefficient some of these elections have become," Smaltz said. "If we're seeing low participation and high costs, we need to consider whether there's a better way to administer them."
The 2025 legislative interim study committee assignments and topics can be found here and legislative appointments for each committee are listed here. Committee hearings and agendas can be viewed on the Indiana General Assembly's website at iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Ben Smaltz (R-Auburn) represents House District 52, which
includes all of DeKalb County, and portions of Noble and Steuben counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
