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ANDERSON — A trial has been scheduled for July in the case of Larry Savage, a former political candidate facing a felony charge for allegedly destroying or misplacing a ballot.

Savage appeared in Madison Circuit Court Division 6 on Friday, where Judge Mark Dudley set his trial for July 28 as the second choice for that date.

His attorney, Brandon Townsend, stated that plea negotiations failed to produce a resolution.

“I’m innocent, and my attorney will prove it,” Savage asserted in a statement after the hearing.

The 51-year-old was charged last year with a felony and a misdemeanor theft charge after he allegedly removed ballots during an Oct. 3 test of Madison County’s voting machines. Savage has strongly pushed back against the accusations, calling them a “political witch hunt.”

The machine test was conducted through the Voting System Technical Oversight Program hosted by Ball State University.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed by David Peterson of the Indiana State Police, two test ballots were discovered missing. Surveillance footage reportedly showed Savage folding the ballots and placing them in his pocket before leaving the Madison County Government Center.

Shortly after taking the ballots, the footage also shows Savage whispering to Katherine Callahan, who later received a Facebook post from Savage stating that the test was three ballots short.

Savage, upon his arrest, claimed he didn’t realize he wasn’t allowed to take ballots marked “sample.” Indiana law requires that all ballots used in machine testing be sealed.

A search warrant was executed at Savage’s home, including a review of his cellphone. Investigators say his texts included a message to Callahan asking if anyone had mentioned the missing ballots.

Callahan reportedly texted back that officials were looking for them. Savage then responded, “I had three, how can they be one short?”

Despite the video evidence, Savage maintains the ballots were sample materials and not intended for actual use. He admitted he did not ask permission to take them but insists he did not intentionally commit a crime.

The political backdrop of the case raises some questions. Savage has run unsuccessfully for multiple offices, including mayor of Alexandria in 2019, an at-large seat on the Anderson City Council in 2023, and the Republican nomination for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District last year.

With his repeated election bids and his claims of political motivation behind the charges, it remains unclear whether this is a genuine case of election security enforcement or an overblown response to what Savage describes as a misunderstanding. His day in court may provide some answers.