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Libertarian Jeff Maurer hopes to make election history in Indiana, and he can do that in November, by being elected Secretary of State since his party has never won a statewide office here.

Libertarian Jeff Maurer said after seeing the hurt the nation experienced in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, it became important to him that something be done to restore and rebuild trust in the election process.

But Maurer says he also aims to make voters feel more confident in the election process at a time when public trust is at risk.

He announced his candidacy August 2021 but officially threw his hat in the ring for secretary of state after winning his partys nomination in March.

Maurer moved to Carmel in 2013 for a better quality of life, after being exhausted by corrupt politics, big government and high taxes in New York.

The Libertarin Party believes all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose, according to the partys website.

Maurer serves as a development officer for Students of Liberty, a student organization focused on championing free markets and free speech around the world. He sits on his communitys Economic Development Commission and Home Place Advisor Board. He joined his local volunteer fire department at 16 and served as a firefighter and officer for more than 12 years.

He is currently enlisted in the Indiana Air National Guard. In fact, all three contenders for secretary of state have served in the armed forces, although Republican Diego Morales veteran status has been under scrutiny.

Maurer also owns a small VR tech companyone reason he would like, if elected, to improve the Business Services division by streamlining the process for businesses to get started, receive information and have the customer support they need.

Government does not create businesses, people do, Hoosiers do, and businesses create jobs, our neighbors create jobs, not government, he said. Government's job and responsibility here is to get done what needs to be done but then to immediately get out of the way so that our entrepreneurs and business owners can get to work serving their customers, creating jobs and feeding their families.

Focused on election verification

Libertarian secretary of state candidate Jeff Maurer, second from left, helped on the campaign trail for Libertarian Donald Rainwater's race for governor in 2020.

Maurer said after seeing the hurt the nation experienced in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, it became important to him that something be done to restore and rebuild trust in the election process.

Having worked in tech, transportation, and budget and finance, Maurer believes his background puts him in a unique position to solve this issue, by using new technology to bring a fresh air of transparency, accountability and accessibility to build trust.

Maurers campaign is centered around the idea of changing the way we do elections. One idea he suggests is to have elections be more like an open-concept restaurant.

I want us to be able to have confidence that you can see your vote, see how its being counted and rebuild trust so we are never in this position again, he said.

Maurer said voters would receive a receipt after voting so that they would be able to track their vote, like a package, throughout the election process.

A receipt will give you the information and the power to go online, look up your vote, track it and know that your voice has been heard. That's the value of the receipt, Maurer said. That's the level of trust that we've strengthened in our elections.

Its not about one party or the other, he said. Its about a process thats failing us and will continue to fail us. It will only get worse until we take action [now] to make things better.

Maurer also believes the auditing process should change in a number of ways because he says the current model is woefully insufficient.

Currently, state election audits are performed by the Voting System Technical Oversight Program (VStop) directed by Ball State University, which falls under the secretary of states office. Maurer said this is a conflict of interest and gives no incentive to report any wrongdoing. By having the audit performed by an independent agency, Maurer said transparency and accountability can be ensured.

Another issue he finds with the current election process is that audits are only made on the 40% of votes that have a paper copy. Nearly, 60% of Indianas voting machines are paperless, which may make them more vulnerable to irreversible errors and breaches, according to Indiana Universitys Public Policy Institute.

According to the 2020 Post Election Audit Report, only 10% of voting machines in each Indiana county include a paper record of every vote. Election outcomes are then checked by hand-counting a randomized sample of paper-voted ballots to confirm machine accuracy. By the 2024 general election, every vote cast in Indiana will have a paper copy.

In the past, the audit is only performed on five out of 92 counties. Ten counties will be audited after the 2022 election.

We urgently need to audit all 92 counties with an independent audit and to have that audit done before the elections are certified by federal law offices, Maurer said.

Maurer said that the certification and verification of election results need to happen at a much quicker rate because currently we're saying we certify these results, we verify that they're good before weve done any verification.

Donald Rainwater, the Libertarian candidate in the 2020 gubernatorial race, is now endorsing his friends campaign.

I'm really excited about the fact that Jeff has some very concrete ideas about how to improve election integrity here in the state of Indiana and do it in a nonpartisan way. And I think that's very important, he said.

We definitely need to provide voters with the assurance that their vote counts because the fundamental foundation of our freedoms and the assurance that our freedoms will be preserved is our ability to vote. So, I'm just very enthusiastic about his candidacy for secretary of state for that reason, Rainwater said.

ARW Strategies, an Illinois-based consulting firm conducted a poll for Indianapolis political commentator Abdul-Hakim Shabazz in July, using text messages and phone calls.

In the July poll, 31% of respondents opted for the Democratic candidate, Destiny Wells, while 28% said theyd be supporting Republican candidate Diego Morales. Maurer pulled 7%, with 34% staying undecided. The poll has a margin error of +/- 3.64%.

I think Destiny [Wells] does have a path to victory, Shabazz said. Also, I think what's interesting too is that some of those Republicans who may not be comfortable with Diego may just go ahead and vote for Jeff Maurer. So I think the ramifications are far and wide here.

Regardless of a win, Maurer said a strong finish would mean a lot for the Libertarian Party of Indiana. In any county where Maurer finishes in first or second place, the party would be able to appoint a Libertarian to the countys election board for the next four years. If Maurer earns 10% or more of the statewide vote, a party primary will be held for the next four years.

Shabazz said he thinks if enough disgruntled Republicans come out and vote, we could see libertarians having third-party status this election season.

Shabazz said that another poll will be conducted in the next week. The results of the poll and the results after people hit the polls on Election Day could always be different.

In politics, a day is a lifetime, and weve still got probably 50-something days left to Election Day, so anything can and probably will happen, so keep that in mind, Shabazz said.

Debate to be held Tuesday

Both Maurer and his Democratic opponent, Wells, have agreed to and called for Morales to participate in a debate with them. He has declined.

In a Sept. 13 press release, Maurer responded to Morales refusal to participate: Voters deserve to see all of their choicesin one place, at one time, answering the same questions by moderators who will re-ask when questions go unanswered.

And in a Sept. 16 WFYI article, Maurer said he feels like Morales is hiding. If your ideas are so bad that you cant even stand in front of a crowd of people, of your neighbors, to defend them, then somethings wrong, he said. You need better ideas.

Now, Maurer and Wells will be debating Tuesday afternoon without Morales.

Maurer said he hopes that, no matter what, voters take the time to learn about the candidates so they can make an informed decision at the polls.

I'm running to solve our problems, to restore and build trust in our elections, and to do that through common sense solutions, receipts and audits, he said. I encourage every voter to do the research on candidates for this office. Listen to my opponents but really understand the issues and what solutions or lack of solutions are being offered.

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No Libertarian has won statewide officebut Maurer hopes to close the gap - The Statehouse File

Oh, youre a libertarian? Yeah bro, I guess that copy of The Fountainhead with the pages stuck together youve got there shouldve been a clue. But if youre an actual rugged individualist, could you do me a solid and tell me 3 places you like to chill so I can steer clear of them?

If you could share where you and the other sworn enemies of food safety regulations meet up to exchange unpleasantries, Id be much obliged. Im sorry if this seems a little forward, but my friends and I just want to know where we can go with a reasonable chance of not wanting to leave as soon as we arrive.

Hey, lets try this. Ill name 3 places and you tell me if youve ever been. Cool? Whens the last time you saw a band with any female members? Okay, that doesnt surprise me. What about therapy? Yeah, that tracks. Now tell me about your most recent second date. No bro, I havent been following you around and spying on you. Well, I did talk to a barista who told me how you always go out of your way to explain to her why you dont tip. Whats that? Youre never getting coffee at that place again? Oh, sweet, I can start reading my new book there.

Oh, youre into books, too? Well, I probably dont have to worry about bumping into you at the library, but can you tell me about your favorite sections at the bookstore? Ah, Ben Shapiro and Jordan Peterson? Yeah, I like fiction, too. But I generally prefer some element of realism in what I read. And I bet you like a very limited part of the history section, too, huh?

Now, wheres your favorite place to go shopping? Wait, can I guess? Is it the duty-free, where the soul-sucking government cant take the joy out of buying bulk booze and boxed chocolates with taxes that get wasted on hot lunch programs for freeloading public school children? Wow, I should buy a lottery ticket!

So basically just dont go to your bedroom or the internet and Im good? Cool.

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Oh, You're a Libertarian? Name 3 Places You Like To Hang Out So I Can Avoid Them - The Hard Times

Good intentions aren't good enough when it comes to running for public office.

We're sure when the Libertarian candidate for justice of the peace in District 13, a large district covering south-central Benton County, signed up back on Feb. 28, he believed a run for public office was a civic-minded thing to do.

Last week, though, he told a reporter he's not "actively" running although his name will appear on the ballot in November. The reason: He doesn't have time, what with being busy with family and work.

He's not alone. Things do have a way of getting busy these days, and only the candidate can make a decision as to whether his heart is in it.

He's not the first nor will he be the last Arkansan to get caught up in the political moment, file for office then realize that actually running for election is hard work. That's particularly true when one decides to challenge an incumbent of a dozen years.

Truth be told, longtime Justice of the Peace Kurt Moore had and has every reason to expect to be reelected. His constituents have seen their way to elect him over and over and over.

Still, when someone files to run for election, it would be nice if they've given the move the weighty consideration it deserves before filing the paperwork for the contest.

Too often, we've seen political party organizers so eager to make their numbers, their only requirement for a candidate is that he or she can fog a mirror. Certainly, we've seen elected politicians whose capacity to do that could be questioned, but we'd rather see a genuine vacancy in the contest than to witness a party content with warm-body candidates.

It makes us appreciate the people who run for public office and actually mean it. Running for election, and certainly holding public office, can be a thankless task. The issues require time and considerable thought once a candidate is elected, if not before.

More people ought to embrace community service through seeking public office or volunteering to be on the boards and commissions of your local city or county. There's a real need and it matters when people are committed to involvement.

We don't criticize this one candidate for making a choice he felt was the right one. Rather, we encourage others to consider the call to public service in the way they feel they can best contribute.

There's always another election around the corner.

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NWA EDITORIAL | Public service is a noble calling in need of those willing to answer - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

After a lengthy midterm primary in which some candidates had to wait more than a week to learn the results of their races, party nominees will campaign this month and next ahead of the general election to represent Anne Arundel County at the local, state and federal level.

Candidates have about six weeks to crisscross the county raising money and winning over voters in the lead-up to the Nov. 8 election.

[Counting Marylands many mail-in ballots can start Oct. 1, judge rules]

Voters must register by Oct. 18 or at their polling place on Election Day with proper Maryland documentation. Residents hoping to vote by mail must request their mail-in ballots by Nov. 1 and have their ballots postmarked by Election Day or deposited in a dropbox by 8 p.m. that day.

Early voting starts Oct. 27 and ends Nov. 3.

Here are the races to look out for.

Anne Arundel County Executive Democrat Steuart Pittman, who was unopposed in the July primary, has spent this year raising funds and touting his accomplishments from his first four years on the job.

Pittman faces Republican challenger Jessica Haire for reelection. Haire, the one-term County Council member from Edgewater, defeated former Annapolis Del. Herb McMillan by more than 2,000 votes.

[VOTER GUIDE 2022: Read the candidates' positions on the issues]

Haire, who is married to Dirk Haire, chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, faced criticism during her primary campaign for accepting tens of thousands of dollars from a Montgomery County developer that has sought to build a landfill in Odenton that many in the community oppose. Haire has fired back that Pittman Pittman received $2,500 from Conifer Realty, a developer that is building a workforce housing project in Odenton. He also granted the company a tax break, a move that was approved by a majority of the County Council.

On Oct. 18, Pittman and Haire will participate in a debate at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis. The Capital and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce will co-host the event.

Two Democratic incumbents and two Republican incumbents on the County Council are seeking a second term.

In District 1, , former Council member Pete Smith takes on Republican Jeremy Shifflett to fill the seat Sarah Lacey left to run for State Senate.

The District 2 race will match incumbent Democrat Allison Pickard against Republican Noel Smith and Libertarian David Sgambellone.

After being unopposed in his primary, incumbent Republican Nathan Volke in District 3 will face Democrat Michael Gendel who filed to run as a write-in candidate last month.

Following two close primaries, Republican Cheryl Renshaw and Democratic former Anne Arundel County Board of Education member Julie Hummer won their respective races. They will now vie for the District 4 seat soon to be vacated by Andrew Pruski who reached his term limit on the council.

Meanwhile, incumbent Republican Amanda Fiedler will face Democrat Carl Neimeyer in the race to represent District 5.

Lisa Rodvien, the Democratic incumbent from District 6, will face former Annapolis Mayor Republican Mike Pantelides.

Coming out of another close primary in District 7, Republican Shannon Leadbetter and Democrat Shawn Livingston are seeking the seat Jessica Haire left up for grabs in her run for county executive.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a one-term incumbent, takes on Republican challenger Chris Chaffee, who defeated nine party challengers to win the nomination. Van Hollen defeated Michael Smith in the primary with almost 80% of the vote. A third candidate, Scottie Griffin, a Democrat, filed to run as a write-in last month.

Van Hollen has represented Maryland in the U.S. Senate since 2017 before which he represented Carroll, Frederick and Montgomery counties in the House of Representatives for fourteen years. In another term, Van Hollen said he would work toward creating jobs, better access to affordable childcare, lower healthcare costs and protecting the states environmental assets like the Chesapeake Bay, according to responses to the Baltimore Sun Medias voter guide survey.

Chaffee has posted videos to his Facebook page advocating for American energy independence from the rest of the world to combat gas prices and inflation. Chaffee earned about 21% of the vote in the primary.

After redistricting this year, Anne Arundel County will now be represented by Districts 3 and 5 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Democratic incumbent in Marylands 3rd Congressional District , John Sarbanes won his nomination handily with nearly 85% of the vote. Sarbanes has been a member of the House since 2007. In his Baltimore Sun survey, he said hed focus on getting special-interest group dollars out of the politics, strengthen the countrys education system and make government processes more transparent.

Sarbanes Republican challenger, Yuripzy Morgan, who won her primary race by more than seven percentage points , said in her campaign materials she will provide a new perspective to Congress after Sarbanes 15 years in the seat and his fathers, the late Sen. Paul Sarbanes, 30 years in the Senate. She also will work on reducing crime and managing inflation, she said in her survey response.

The states 5th Congressional District will feature a race between incumbent Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Republican Chris Palombi, a rematch of a race Hoyer won handily in 2020.

In another two-year term, Hoyer would work on protecting voters rights and helping the nation recover from the pandemic economically, he said. Hoyer has served in the House since 1981. He won a three-way primary with about 71% of the vote. Palombi defeated six Republican opponents with about 68%. On Palombis campaign website he promised to work toward reducing the national debt, improving infrastructure and better securing the U.S.s southern border.

Three State Senate incumbents who represent Anne Arundel County in the Maryland General Assembly won their respective nomination and will seek another term this fall: Democratic state Sens. Sarah Elfreth, from District 30, and Pam Beidle, from District 32, and Republican state Sen. Bryan Simonaire from District 31.

Elfreth, a first-term legislator who represents the Annapolis area, will face Stacie MacDonald who won her nomination with 75% of the vote. Beidle, a first termer from Linthicum, is being challenged by Republican Kimberly June. Simonaire, a Pasadena representative seeking a fifth term, will face Libertarian Brian Kunkoski.

Following District 33 Republican Sen. Ed Reillys retirement, Del. Sid Saab is running to take his place and keep the seat red while Democrat Dawn Gile hopes to flip it.

District 12B, a new district created during legislative redistricting this year that includes parts of Anne Arundel County including Brooklyn Park, will match Republican Ashley Arias against Democrat Gary Simmons. Both Arias and Simmons emerged successful in their primaries thanks to razor-thin margins of 20 votes.

In the House of Delegates, Democratic incumbent Dels. Shaneka Henson and Dana Jones are running to represent District 30A, which includes Annapolis, while newcomer Courtney Buiniskis is running as a Democrat in District 30B, which comprises Shady Side and Deale. Theyll face Republican challengers Doug Rathell and Rob Seyfferth in 30A and incumbent Republican Seth Howard in 30B.

District 31 saw the three Republican incumbents, Brian Chisholm, Nicholaus Kipke and Rachel Munoz defeat their challenger with wide margins. They will face Democrats Kevin Burke and Milad Pooran and Libertarian Travis Lerol in the general election.

As it happens

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Another trio of incumbents, Democratic Dels. Sandy Bartlett, Mark Chang and Mike Rogers defeated their challenger and will face Republican newcomers Michael Jette, Monica Smearman and Michele Speakman to represent District 32, which includes parts of Glen Burnie, Linthicum, Fort Meade and Maryland City.

In another House of Delegates race, Democratic County Council member Andrew Pruski defeated opponents to win the party nomination for District 33A by about 16 percentage points. He will face Republican Kim Mills. In District 33B newcomers Republican Stuart Michael Schmidt, who won 70% of his partys vote, will face Democrat John Wakefield. Meanwhile, Democratic incumbent Heather Bagnall will face Republican Kerry Gillespie to represent District 33C.

Other down-ballot races will feature match-ups between Democratic incumbent Scott Poyer and Republican Terry Gilleland for Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Republican incumbent Lauren Parker takes on Democrat Erica Griswold for Register of Wills.

Republican one-term incumbent Jim Fredericks matches up with Democrat Everett Sesker for Anne Arundel County Sheriff.

Incumbent Democrat Vickie Gipson and Republicans Maureen Carr-York and Nancy Phelps will face Democrat challengers David Duba and Marc Knapp and Republican Tony McConkey for Judges of the Orphans Court.

In the Anne Arundel States Attorney race Democratic incumbent Anne Colt Leitess is unopposed.

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Anne Arundel candidates gear up for the November general election. Here's what you need to know. - Capital Gazette

Kraken CEO Jesse Powell to step down as CEO after founding the company that is now the fourth-largest cryptocurrency exchange by spot trading volume.

COO Dave Ripley will take over the reins from Powell, who will continue as chairman of the companys board. The transition will be finalized in the upcoming months as the company looks for a suitable replacement for Ripley. Ripley and Powell will continue to perform their existing functions during the search.

Powell told Bloomberg that he had announced his decision to step down to the board over a year ago, citing boredom.

As the company has gotten bigger, its just gotten to be more draining on me, less fun, he explained.

Following his exit from the top job, Powell, a public critic of crypto regulation, will spend his time on crypto industry advocacy.

#JesPoS seemed like less work. @krakenfx is in excellent hands with @DavidLRipley. Ill continue to be highly engaged as chairman. Big thanks to the team for trusting me, our investors for taking a chance, and all my industry peers on the front lines, he tweeted.

Speaking with Fortune, Ripley confirmed that there would be little change in the companys libertarian culture when he succeeds Powell.

Powell founded Kraken in San Francisco in 2011 with fellow board member Thanh Luu. Kraken became the second-largest cryptocurrency exchange in the U.S. during the last crypto bull market.

The outgoing CEO was a vocal opponent of the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Controls decision to ban cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash and urged crypto investors to take their money off centralized exchanges following a Canadian trucker protest against government vaccine mandates in Feb. 2022. He also halted Krakens operations in New York after the New York Department of Financial Services required the company to comply with specific regulations to continue operations.

Powells outspoken leadership style made headlines earlier this year when he questioned certain employees choice of personal pronouns, igniting a firestorm of criticism from employees threatening to walk out.

In June, the controversial CEO published and co-authored with Ripley a company culture document drenched in libertarian philosophical values consistent with the so-called cypherpunk movement characteristic of early bitcoin adopters and believers. Powell encouraged those that disagreed with the document to opt into a program offering them four months salary if they never again worked at the company.

In hindsight, Powell believes that the document rallied the troops, galvanizing the company and making it a desirable workplace.

Going forward, consistent with his libertarian views, he believes that cryptocurrencies will continue to grow.

The world is a changing place, and Bitcoin is anti-fragile and a safe haven from whats happening in the legacy financial system, he said.

For Be[In]Cryptos latestBitcoin(BTC) analysis,click here.

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Outspoken Kraken CEO Walks Away From Top Job, Calls It 'Draining' - BeInCrypto