Griffith, Indiana Public Records

This overlapping structure means major crimes and cross-jurisdictional matters get handled through coordinated efforts between local departments and the Sheriff's Office, creating a unified approach to public safety throughout the county.

Indiana's bond and bail system allows detainees to secure release pending trial, with specific information available from the jail's administrative office. The online search tool provided by the Sheriff's Office offers the quickest way to locate current inmates.

The law ensures transparency while allowing for exceptions when judicial proceedings require confidentiality. Requests are processed according to the specific procedures established by each law enforcement agency.

Additional registration options include in-person visits to the Lake County Election Board, registration at Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles branches when obtaining or renewing a license, or mailing a completed Indiana Voter Registration Application. State law requires photo ID at the polls, an Indiana driver's license, state ID, U.S. Passport, military ID, or student ID from an Indiana institution all qualify. The town operates under a council form of government, with municipal elections for Town Council (five at-large members) and Town Clerk-Treasurer held in odd-numbered years during Indiana's municipal election cycle; the most recent municipal election took place in November 2023, with the next scheduled for November 2027. Residents can find their polling place assignments through the Indiana Voter Portal at indianavoters. gov by entering their name and date of birth, which displays precinct information, polling location address, sample ballot, and election dates. Indiana makes several categories of election records publicly accessible: voter registration lists (available for purchase for political purposes), campaign finance reports filed by candidates and committees (searchable at campaignfinance. gov), candidate filings and declarations (available through county election boards), and precinct-level election results (posted at www.lakecountyin.org/518/Election-Results after certification). During the November 2024 presidential election, Lake County reported approximately 58-62% voter turnout with over 180,000 ballots cast from approximately 290,000 registered voters, reflecting strong participation in the competitive presidential race. Looking ahead to November 3, 2026, voters will decide several significant races: all of Indiana's nine U.S. House seats (Griffith is in District 1, currently represented by Frank Mrvan), all 100 Indiana House seats and 25 of 50 Indiana Senate seats, as well as county-level offices including Lake County Council seats, Lake County Assessor, Lake County Surveyor, and various township offices (Griffith lies primarily within Calumet Township). The 2026 election will not include U.S. Senate or gubernatorial races as Indiana's Senate seats are up in 2024 and 2028, and the Governor's race was in 2024. Indiana offers absentee voting by mail for voters who meet specific criteria including being 65 or older, having a disability, being confined to a care facility, working as a precinct election officer outside their home precinct, having religious obligations, being a member of the military or public safety officer, being scheduled to work during all polling hours, being a Voter Advocate Program participant, or being prevented from voting due to the care of an individual confined to a private residence; absentee ballot applications can be submitted online through indianavoters. gov or in person/by mail to the Lake County Election Board, with applications due 12 days before Election Day and ballots due by noon on Election Day to be counted.