INDIANAPOLIS | The Indiana Election Commission refused to add a Lake Circuit Court candidate to the Nov. 2 ballot due to the method of his selection. The panel, however, said Thursday a countywide candidate facing a similar challenge should be put on the ballot.

Highland attorney William Fine was selected as the Republican nominee for Lake Circuit Court judge by GOP County Chairwoman Kim Krull after no Republican ran in the primary. Democrats challenged Fine's selection, accusing Krull of violating party rules that they said require a party caucus be held to choose a judicial circuit candidate.

On Thursday, the two Republicans on the state Election Commission voted to deny the challenge and put Fine on the ballot. The two Democrats voted no. The deadlock on the four-member panel means Fine is not on the general election ballot.

However, all four members of the commission said a nonjudicial candidate can be selected by a party's county chairman.

"If it's just a county office, like county assessor, then the direction from this committee is that he should in fact be allowed on the ballot," said Dan Dumezich, chairman of the Election Commission and a former Schererville state representative. "That was the direction from all four members of this commission."

Democrats also have challenged Krull's selection of Hank Adams to be the Republican candidate for Lake County assessor. A hearing on that challenge is set for Friday before the Lake County Elections Board.