CROWN POINT | Indiana's Democratic chairman said his party is ready to challenge the votes of any lifelong Republicans who attempt to vote as Democrats in the May 6 primary.

Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker said he is concerned Republicans may try to cast crossover votes to skew results in the close presidential primary between U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

"I'm only talking about crossover with mischievous intent," Parker said of his party's plans to challenge suspicious voters. "If there is a coordinated effort by Republicans to affect the outcome of our primary, that would be something the party would try through the challenge process to keep those voters out."

Lake County GOP Chairman John Curley said he finds that appalling.

"I haven't run into too many Republicans interested in a Democratic race, but you can't stop someone from voting a 'D' or an 'R,'" Curley said. "This is America."

Lake County Elections Supervisor Michelle Fajman said challenges to voters can be made by party officials armed with voting records for the past 10 years.

The challenge process would work like this:

Voters must declare their party affiliation in spring primary elections.

Local party officials watching the polling locations then could check the names of voters against a list of all registered voters that shows past party declarations.

Fajman said any voter whose party affiliation is challenged can either decline to vote for the party in question or sign an affidavit, swearing under oath that they voted in the last election for a majority of the regular nominees of the party.

She said a grand jury could investigate anyone who signed a false affidavit, but challenges are rare. Fajman said she hasn't received any indication of state or local Democrats mounting a serious voter challenge at present.