INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ State election officials say Indiana's complicated, often contradictory rules regarding registration for voters and political candidates need to be simplified to avoid situations like the one that led to last year's ouster of Secretary of State Charlie White.

Leslie Barnes of the Secretary of State office's election division told a legislative panel Thursday that residency standards and deadlines aren't the same for voters and candidates. She says even the definition of residency varies.

 Barnes says the state's rules should also better accommodate voters who move from place to place.

 Election Division Republican co-director Brad King says confusing residency requirements cause voters to lose faith in the system. He says Indiana's residency requirements should be made easier for voters and candidates to understand.