Editing Daviess County, Indiana (section)

==Government==
{{see also|Government of Indiana}}
The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the [[Constitution of Indiana]], and by the [[Indiana Code]]. The county council is the legislative branch of the county government and controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected from county districts. The council members serve four-year terms. They are responsible for setting salaries, the annual budget, and special spending. The council also has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes, and service taxes.<ref name=inc3623>{{cite web|author=Indiana Code|url=http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title36/ar2/ch3.html|title=Title 36, Article 2, Section 3|access-date=September 16, 2008|publisher=Government of Indiana|author-link=Indiana Code}}</ref><ref name=inc2102>{{cite web|author=Indiana Code|url=http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title3/ar10/ch2.pdf|title=Title 2, Article 10, Section 2|access-date=September 16, 2008|publisher=Government of Indiana|author-link=Indiana Code}}</ref>

A board of commissioners constitutes the county's executive body. Commissioners are elected county-wide, in staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The board executes the council's legislative acts, collects revenue, and manages the county's government functions.<ref name=inc3623/><ref name=inc2102/>

The county maintains a [[small claims court]] that can handle some civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level [[circuit court]].<ref name=inc2102/>

The county has other elected offices, including [[sheriff]], [[coroner]], [[auditor]], [[treasurer]], [[recorder of deeds|recorder]], [[surveying|surveyor]], and circuit [[court clerk]]. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare [[political party|party]] affiliations and to be residents of the county.<ref name=inc2102/>

Each township has a [[Indiana Township Trustee|trustee]] who administers rural fire protection and ambulance service, provides poor relief, manages cemetery care, and performs farm assessment, among other duties. The trustee is assisted in these duties by a three-member township board. The trustees and board members are elected to four-year terms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unitedtownships.org/?page_id=95|title=Government|publisher=United Township Association of Indiana|access-date=January 6, 2011}}</ref>

Daviess County is part of [[Indiana's 8th congressional district]]; [[Indiana Senate]] districts 39 and 48;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/3006.htm|title=Indiana Senate Districts|publisher=State of Indiana|access-date=January 23, 2011}}</ref> and [[Indiana House of Representatives]] districts 45, 63 and 64.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/3005.htm|title=Indiana House Districts|publisher=State of Indiana|access-date=January 23, 2011}}</ref>

===Political culture===
{{PresHead|place=Daviess County, Indiana|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=May 14, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|9,322|1,963|164|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|9,576|2,169|226|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|8,545|1,800|474|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|7,638|2,437|189|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|7,098|3,370|118|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|7,936|2,573|90|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|6,872|2,697|192|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|5,531|3,230|1,054|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|5,591|3,201|1,728|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|6,768|3,483|43|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|7,721|3,545|45|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|7,022|4,057|453|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|6,829|4,952|57|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|8,490|3,538|43|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|7,036|4,071|1,286|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|6,319|6,528|48|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|8,285|5,433|45|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|8,608|5,057|42|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|8,328|5,247|101|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|7,030|5,867|147|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|7,458|5,523|71|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|7,615|6,401|59|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|6,459|6,848|163|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|5,838|6,772|279|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|7,116|5,324|103|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|6,427|5,558|515|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|6,748|5,587|298|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|3,191|3,143|376|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|2,005|2,759|1,577|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|3,424|3,253|400|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|3,682|2,802|467|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|3,298|3,424|305|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|3,120|3,785|29|Indiana}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|2,610|2,498|963|Indiana}}
{{PresFoot|1888|Republican|2,691|2,689|45|Indiana}}Daviess County is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections and is consistently one of the most Republican counties in Indiana, giving John McCain 67% of the vote in 2008 and Mitt Romney nearly 75% of the vote in 2012. Donald Trump nearly won 80% of the vote in 2020.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}